After years of planning and multiple setbacks, Phase 1 of a new bike path project in Flandreau finally has the green light.
The Department of Transportation has formally approved the $800,000 grant agreement.
The grant, part of the Transportation Alternatives Program, will cover an upgraded entrance to Flandreau from Highway 32, along with an expanded community bike path network. Over the past seven years, representatives from the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, the City of Flandreau, and the Flandreau Development Corporation, alongside various community stakeholders, have engaged in extensive discussions and collaborations to shape the project’s scope and vision.
The Moody County Enterprise reported earlier this year that Flandreau’s 2024 proposal was selected among seven others across South Dakota in the 0-4,999 population range. Plans include an 8’ wide concrete shared-use path, starting at the west entrance to town along Pipestone Avenue and south on Veterans Street toward the Royal River Casino complex.
Design work should begin before the end of this year, paving the way for construction to begin in either the fall of 2025 or the spring of 2026. The project’s timeline could potentially be expedited if funds become available sooner.