South Dakota: US-18 & US-83 Reconstruction

In South Dakota, A Road to Prosperity for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe   

Challenge: The Rosebud Indian Reservation located in Todd County is one of the poorest reservations in the nation, plagued with a system of below standard, dirt roads and other inadequate transportation elements. The region typifies the situation faced by tribal nations throughout America, which have been neglected when it comes to transportation infrastructure improvements. The result is tribal communities beset by high unemployment, motor vehicle injuries and deaths, and a high percentage of people living on incomes below the national poverty level. Indeed, Todd County has the highest poverty rate of all U.S. counties, with almost 59 percent of its population living below the poverty line.    

Solution: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) Rural Transportation Program (Rural) is designed to end this disparity. A case in point is the upgrading of the Rosebud reservation’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Route 7, which connects the Rosebud Indian Reservation and a five-county region of more than 33,000 Tribal members to Tribal headquarters in Rosebud, South Dakota. With a just-awarded $26.2 million grant under the Rural program, the project will reconstruct and resurface 24 miles of the artery that connects the town of Rosebud to the major US Routes 18 (US-18) and 83 (US-83). The project also features transportation safety countermeasures and new pedestrian pathways. When complete, the result for Todd County and Tribal residents will be improved transportation access and a host of new benefits, including new employment opportunities, better educational institutions, essential services, healthcare facilities, job training centers and community social services.  

What they’re saying: “From a safety point of view, it’s nice. I like that the road is not so narrow anymore. All the new things that were implemented in this project are a plus, new signage, new fencing and guardrail.” – Anna One Star, Tribal Transportation Planner, Rosebud Sioux Tribe in an email provided to ARTBA.