Flooding causes no-travel advisory in southeast SD; portions of I-29 blocked

A flooded southeast South Dakota road on June 21, 2024. (Courtesy of South Dakota Department of Transportation)

The Department of Transportation issued a no-travel advisory this afternoon for all state highway sections in southeastern South Dakota experiencing flooding, including a blocked portion of Interstate 29.

Some locations in the area received more than 5 inches of rain in the past two days, with 2 to 4 additional inches of rain in the forecast for some locations today into Saturday.

The Department of Transportation said heavy rainfall and saturated ground conditions are causing widespread flooding, making travel difficult to impossible in the southeastern region. A majority of state and local routes are impassable due to standing or flowing water across the roadway, and many of the major streams and rivers will continue to rise and are not anticipated to peak until this weekend or later.

Interstate 29 is blocked at exit 50 (Centerville) and exit 62 (Canton). An alternate route has been created in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation to allow motorists to safely travel from Sioux Falls to Sioux City, and Sioux Falls to the South Dakota Highway 48 junction north of Junction City.

The alternate route diverts motorists in Sioux Falls to eastbound I-90 to Worthington, Minnesota, turning south on U.S. Highway 59, turning southwest on State Route 60 through Sheldon, Iowa, and continuing south on U.S. Highway 75 from Le Mars, Iowa, to access Sioux City, Iowa. Motorists can also use Iowa State Highway 3 heading west out of Le Mars to access South Dakota Highway 48 and I-29.

It’s highly recommended that motorists use the alternate route, said the South Dakota Department of Transportation, as other secondary highways in the area are impassable due to high water.

A map of the alternate route as well as additional flooding traveler information can be found at https://dot.sd.gov/travelers/travelers/flooding-information. Travelers can also find road condition information for the state of Iowa at https://www.511ia.org/ and the state of Minnesota at https://511mn.org/.

Interstate 90 is currently open but is anticipated to close this evening as the weather system becomes stronger and rainfall increases. Areas on I-90 near Salem and Mount Vernon are significantly impacted by flooding.

Travel impacts are expected to increase throughout the evening hours, with a high likelihood of rain continuing through Saturday. An additional storm system is anticipated to move into the area around 5 p.m. Central today, which will bring heavy rainfall, damaging winds, hail and possibly a tornado. Motorists can expect additional road closures if conditions continue to worsen.

Motorists are reminded to respect all road closures and not drive around barricades. They should not use secondary highways to avoid road closures or highway obstructions. Driving into floodwater areas can lead to potentially dangerous or life-threatening situations. Due to the expected length of this weather event, all motorists are asked to plan their travel accordingly and not travel in southeast South Dakota if possible.

Visit https://sd511.org or download the SD511 mobile app to view all current road closures, no-travel advisories and highway obstructions.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated since its initial publication with additional information about the blocked segment of I-29 and its detour.

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