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Road Work in Aberdeen—Scotty’s Still Open!

By Cory Allen Heidelberger on 2018-04-18

If you want to get across Aberdeen, 8th Avenue North is an appealing alternative to Sixth Avenue South, a.k.a. U.S. Highway 12. From 390th Avenue on the east to U.S. 281 on the west, 8th Avenue North has three all-stops and four traffic lights, compared to sixteen traffic lights on the parallel stretch of 6th/US 12. If you’re staying at the Ramkota or coming into town from the north on 281 and want to get to Walmart, Target, or the movie theater, come through on 8th…

…but not today:

Don't plan on bearing west from Main!
Don’t plan on bearing west from Main!
8th Ave NW under destruction at N 1st St, Aberdeen, SD, 2018.04.18.
8th Ave NW under destruction at N 1st St, Aberdeen, SD, 2018.04.18.

The city said they were going to start tearing up 8th Avenue North between Main and 5th Street today, and they meant it.

8th Ave NW closure map, April thru mid-July 2018.
8th Ave NW closure map, April thru mid-July 2018. Green arrows show open traffic flow; red shows no-go destruction zone.

From today into mid-July, 8th Avenue NW will be torn up between North 5th Street (the road to the Brown County Fairgrounds) and Main Street. The road remains open at North 2nd Street so one can drive straight up to the Presentation campus from downtown, but the other crossings at 1st, 3rd, and 4th are closed.

The big asphalt machine was grinding up the eastbound lane of 8th Ave between 2nd and Main when I walked by with the dog. The crew lifts the grinder over the manholes; I assume some lucky guy gets to jackhammer that asphalt out from around the pipes.
The big asphalt machine was grinding up the eastbound lane of 8th Ave between 2nd and Main when I walked by with the dog. The crew lifts the grinder over the manholes; I assume some lucky guy gets to jackhammer that asphalt out from around the pipes.
Eating pavement on 8th Ave north of Scotty's.
Gobble gobble grindy-gobble….
Not a lot of options at North 2nd Street.
Not a lot of options at North 2nd Street.
Scotty's remains open for the duration to fuel the construction crew with tater tots and Rebel burgers.
Scotty’s remains open for the duration to fuel the construction crew with tater tots and Rebel burgers.

The Aberdeen American News says this road destruction is part of a $1.56-million project in my neighborhood and $7.8 million in street and infrastructure work being done all around Aberdeen this summer.

Published in South Dakota