A $77.7 million reconstruction of the Interstate 90 Exit 46 interchange near Piedmont will be the most expensive single project in South Dakota Department of Transportation history, according to officials.
The state Transportation Commission on Friday awarded the contract to Heavy Constructors Inc. of Rapid City, the lowest of three bidders. The winning bid came in about 9.8% above the department’s estimate of roughly $70.8 million.
The Elk Creek Road interchange serves the growing communities of Summerset and Piedmont in Meade County. Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt said the project has been years in the making and is expected to take about three years to complete, with field work scheduled through December 2028.
Construction could begin this summer, though traffic impacts to I-90 will not be allowed before Aug. 17, 2026, without special approval.
Despite its record price tag, Jundt said the milestone will be short-lived. The state plans to seek bids later this summer for replacing the Highway 44 bridge over the Missouri River between Platte and Winner, a project expected to exceed $200 million.
The previous largest SDDOT contract was a Sioux Falls-area interchange project bid at about $54 million in 2017.
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