SDDOT Provides I-90 and I-29 Interstate Closure
and Reopening Updates
(Update #2 – Dec. 14, 2022)

For Immediate Release: 
Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022

Contact: 
Craig Smith, Director of Operations, 605-773-5155

PIERRE, S.D. – Due to the continued impact of the strong winter storm system moving through the state, additional closures on Interstate 90 and Interstate 29 are planned for Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

I-90 Updates: 

• As of 12 p.m. (MT) / 1 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, I-90 from Rapid City to the Wyoming state line was reopened. Travelers should expect to encounter slippery road conditions with continued areas of blowing snow. Snow removal equipment will be working. Please use extra caution when approaching snow removal equipment.   

• The section of I-90 from Rapid City to Chamberlain remains closed due to continued drifting with sustained high winds.

• At 4 p.m. (MT) / 5 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, I-90 will close from Chamberlain to Mitchell. The combination of newly developing snow and sustained winds will make I-90 impassable during the evening and overnight hours.

• Truck parking is full in Chamberlain. SDDOT and Department of Public Safety (DPS) ask that semi drivers consider long-term parking options between Sioux Falls and Mitchell areas east of the closure.

I-29 Updates: 

• At 7 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, I-29 will close (both northbound and southbound) from the city of Watertown to the North Dakota border. The combination of newly developing snow and sustained winds will make I-29 impassable during the overnight hours.

Road Conditions Across the State:
Accumulating snow and strong winds will continue to make secondary highways impassable over an extended period of time with many state highways posting No Travel Advised.

Many vehicles have become stuck and stranded in an attempt to travel on these state highways to avoid Interstate closures. These stranded vehicles create hazards for snowplow operators and may delay getting the sections of highway cleared. Please avoid travel.

Any person who fails to observe any sign, marker, warning, notice or direction, or barrier placed or given under § 31-4-14.2 is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Any unauthorized presence on a closed highway is evidence of a violation of this section.

DPS officials note that failure to comply with an Interstate closure may result in a $232 fine, a civil penalty of up to $1,000, and the actual cost of any such rescue, not to exceed $10,000.

Safety on the roadways, for plow operators and the traveling public, is the number one priority for both DOT and DPS. Please use available resources for travel planning over the next few days.

For the latest on road and weather conditions, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.