SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- The cones are coming down and the heaving equipment is heaving its last gasps.
The newly reconstructed Louise Avenue near the city's malls is open for traffic--two months ahead of schedule.
At a news conference today, Mark Cotter, the city's director of public works, said the expanded six lane road would not only help motorists but businesses as well.
"This is the retail hub of the state of South Dakota," Cotter said from the Empire Mall parking lot. "To move people safely in and out of these businesses takes new, modern access techniques.that have been constructed on this project."
However, Greg Branaugh with D & G Construction, which 30 years ago did the original expansion of Louise to four lanes, said drivers will have some things to get used to--like the inability to turn left in as many places as before.
"There's going to be a lot of frustrated drivers in Sioux Falls," Branaugh said. "Because when you leave the mall or you leave Target or leave Kohls or leave any one of these businesses out here, you cannot make a left hand turn. And there's only going to be one place you can cross between 41st and 49th and that's at the Kohl's entrance and the Empire Mall entrance. It's one spot."
The city says 26,000 vehicles per day travel the stretch of Louise Avenue. Cotter did not know exactly how much the city saved with the early completion but noted the beneficiaries were the businesses.
To hear an extended interview with Branaugh and the history of his businesses work on the street, click on the audio player above.