By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
As one major construction project in Flandreau moves forward, another is also beginning to take shape.
On page one is a story about the ribbon cutting for the new Crescent Street Bridge happening this week — a project years in the making as the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and the City of Flandreau have worked together to reconnect the community.
Now, years after the first conversations about expanding bike and pedestrian access in Flandreau, final documents are being signed to move the first phase forward thanks to the collaboration of the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the City of Flandreau, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, the Flandreau Development Corporation and Moody County.
Paperwork was finalized earlier this month to allow the DOT to move the shared-use path project out for bid at one of its upcoming lettings for 2026 construction. The project must be completed this year.
The planned path will begin at the west entrance to town and run along Pipestone Avenue before turning south along S. Veterans Street. It will be located near the roadway with grass on both sides. Once construction is complete, plans also call for trees to be planted along portions of the path to help beautify the corridor.
City officials said they have consulted with utilities located within the project area and do not anticipate any major relocations, though some adjustments may be required. The DOT will oversee the bidding process and serve as the project administrator once construction begins.
“As you know, this has been a very long process. We did our walkability study back in the spring of 2018,” said project coordinator Kelley Ramsdell, former president of the Flandreau Development Corporation.
“Without the involvement of every person that touched this project it would not have been possible.”
Construction is expected to begin later this summer and last roughly six weeks, with city officials hoping to minimize disruptions to nearby businesses and traffic.
When finished, the path will connect with the existing trail that runs through tribal land on the south edge of town. All involved see this project as the first phase of a larger vision that could eventually extend bike and pedestrian access north through the community and possibly as far as the powwow grounds.
Bike and walking trails continue to expand in nearby communities, including Colman, Madison and Pipestone. As more families and local residents view trails as an important quality-of-life feature, communities across the region are investing in projects that better connect people and places.
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