It's orange barrel season in Sioux Falls. Yep, we get two seasons here in Sioux Falls, construction season, and winter. The good news is that crews work every day to ensure our roads are smooth and safe all while maintaining a certain level of convenience. Crews also do their best to make sure water doesn't become a problem when it comes down in huge amounts. That leads me to a big hole near 26th and Cleveland.

A quick tour around Sioux Falls will show you several detention ponds as well as an elaborate drainage system. It's all to help the water get to the river in a timely and orderly fashion. The project near 26th and Cleveland will add capacity to both the detention pond and the piping that moves the water to the Big Sioux River.

In May 2004 a huge 84-inch pipe failed in the area near 26th and Cleveland. You might remember hearing about a sinkhole that affected several area homes. The project takes runoff from a huge portion of the neighborhood and moves it to the river.

Thankfully, there have been no closures to Cleveland avenue during the project. Officials had to bore under the road to make sure traffic would keep flowing along with the 26th Street bridge project. The pipe that goes under Cleveland takes water to the huge HOLE where it is held and 'slowed' until it can take a little more time flowing to the river.

As stated earlier, there are a series of detention ponds and drainage systems in place. Take a walk through almost any Sioux Falls neighborhood, and chances are you'll see them. Then, the next time it rains hard you can feel a little better knowing that that water, is headed to the river in a little more controlled and fashionable way.

If you like to keep up to date with construction projects around Sioux Falls, this video will help keep you up on what's going on around Sioux Falls.

 

More From KXRB