“The vast majority of the project is completed,” said Jim Hyde, Pierre area engineer for the state Department of Transportation, of the $578,000 project. “The only little bit we have left is painting of parking stalls.”
The work included lifting metal arches holding up Capitol Avenue where it passes over Capitol Creek and installing new floodgates to adjust water levels in the lake.
 Jeff Bunn | Capital Journal Traffic crosses the bridge over Capitol Lake on Friday. Despite a few delays, work on the $578,000 project is nearing completion, said Jim Hyde, Pierre area engineer for the state Department of Transportation. Advertisement |
“Metal and water don’t always get along,” Hyde said. “There was some rust and those areas were identified and cut out and replaced and raised slightly so the metal isn’t sitting in the water.”
Hyde said the Capitol building and grounds crews’ new ability to control water levels is a departure from how water was released in the past.
“There were flanks that had to be taken out — whether they could be taken out or had to be adjusted,” he said. “This will be a lot better than that.”
The dam is expected to last another 20 years because of the work.
“It’s an old structure,” Hyde said. “Now it’s going to be able to perform for quite a period of time.”
Prairie Contracting, out of Sioux Falls, did the work that was expected to be completed three weeks earlier than it was.
“There were a few delays due to weather — for the most part it went pretty well,” Hyde said.
Hyde said the lake is an important part of the city and he appreciates the public’s patience in going without 36 parking spaces and dealing with a work zone on Capitol Avenue.
“Its one of the drawing cards to the community and the complex area,” he said.
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