Rapid City’s redesigned Haines Avenue/I-90 interchange scheduled to open to traffic

The rebuilt Haines Avenue interchange at Interstate 90 Exit 58 in Rapid City was scheduled to open to traffic Aug. 2, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.

The department described the project as complete ahead of the planned traffic opening. The announcement did not show a year for the Aug. 2 date, so the scheduled date should not be read as confirmation that the interchange has opened.

A new interchange design at Exit 58

The work changed the former diamond interchange into a single-point urban interchange, often called a SPUI. The redesign affects the connection between Haines Avenue and I-90 at Exit 58, a major interstate access point in Rapid City.

Under the former diamond configuration, interchange movements were arranged through separate intersections on either side of the interstate. The new single-point design places those movements around one central signalized intersection. The transportation department said the design is intended to move more traffic while taking up less land.

That statement describes the design purpose, not a measured result. The state announcement did not provide traffic counts, congestion measurements, crash data or other performance figures showing how the completed interchange is operating.

Drivers face a changed traffic pattern

The opening changes how motorists route through the Haines Avenue and I-90 connection. Drivers using Exit 58, Haines Avenue and the nearby interstate ramps will encounter the redesigned interchange rather than the previous diamond layout.

The department directed drivers to project information and guidance on using the new interchange. Motorists should review that guidance and pay attention to signs and traffic controls as they travel through the reconfigured intersection.

No construction cost, project timeline or anticipated traffic volume was included in the state announcement. The release also did not make a safety claim or provide a forecast for travel-time changes.

What comes next

The next identified step in the announcement was the scheduled Aug. 2 opening to traffic. The available release says the project was completed and gives that opening date, but it does not establish the year in the article text. Updated state project records would be needed to verify the date and the interchange’s current operating status.