Contact Gerrit Juffer 605 384 5600 Brenda Jaton 384 3535 Frank Kloucek 583 4468 for more information.

Over 1200 signatures on a petition to support the 4 lane state highway through Wagner were collected.. They were circulated in Wagner and the surrounding area over the past two weeks. The petitions were sent to the South Dakota Dept of Transportation.

The crux of the petition states “We are concerned that the change to a two lane with a center passing lane will lead to unnecessary traffic congestion and the potential for unsafe driving situations.”

DOT accident rate charts show this stretch of road significantly lower compared to similar roads in the state. It does not appear that this proposed road change will be done to improve safety. The Urban Principal Arterial Crash rate in Wagner from 2015 to 2019 was 1.16 crashes per million vehicle miles traveled while the state average is 1.95.

Brenda Jaton testified at the July 14 2021 Dot STIP planning meeting at the Sioux Falls Airport Ramada Inn in support of keeping the 4 lanes in place. She asked the question “Is it to late to change the proposed two lane plan back to a 4 lane? We were told this is a done deal. Is it? The answer given by the SD Dot was that no this is not a done deal.”

Gerrit Juffer said “We have had tremendous community support for keeping the 4 lanes intact with needed improvements. A clear lack of transparency is obvious. It appears the landowners and other stakeholders were not very well informed on the scope of this project. What economic impact will a two year construction program do to the businesses on Hwy 46 and businesses up and down Wagner's main street? What are the long term implications of this project? Will travelers find other routes to reach their destinations?

Frank Kloucek, a long time Wagner and Wagner Labor Day advocate said. “Thank you to all the stakeholders who signed the petition and those who asked questions at the Wagner City Council meeting. On major projects such as this there appears to be a need for more transparency. There is a solution to the issues facing the Wagner City Council, affected citizens, businesses, and all who use the 4 lane through Wagner. The SD Dot and city of Wagner should be willing to sit down and work it out with the affected stakeholders.”

“The long term best interest of Wagner and those that travel Hwy 46 through Wagner must be our first priority,” concluded Jaton.