South Dakota Department of Transportation: Manderson Pathway

South Dakota DOT provided pedestrians a much safer travel route with the completion of the $1.2 million Manderson Pathway.

Before the completion of the path, pedestrians walked in the driving lane or ditch, while over 100 people per day traversed Route 33 at undesignated crossing points to access a soup kitchen. Since 2015, three pedestrians died and four suffered injuries in Oglala Lakota County because of people walking along highway routes.

The South Dakota DOT’s new pathway connects tribal housing areas with the transit bus stop, park, Pinky’s Store, and Post Office – plus Wounded Knee High School, Head Start program, and Oglala Lakota College. The project also included other safety enhancements, such as a crosswalk with a set of rapid flashing beacons, transverse rumble strips to slow traffic entering Manderson, additional signage, and pathway lighting.