"Everything's still weather dependent this time of year. You know, I don't think anyone was expecting for it to rain for two weeks straight," Public Works Director Joe Schroeder told the Mitchell Republic on October 2. He was talking about the new circle at North Ohlman Street and West 23rd Avenue. It's the first roundabout in Mitchell, and it's still closed.
The concrete circle gets most of the attention, but it's the smallest piece of the project. Most of the work that has kept North Ohlman closed since May is underground: new sewer, water, and storm drain lines. Every Mitchell utility customer is helping pay for that part.
What's left before the barricades come down
As of early October, the curbs were in and the street was nearly ready for asphalt. Terry Johnson, engineering supervisor for Mitchell Public Works, said signs and some pavement markings still had to go in. Once the final gravel grading is done, paving should take three to four days. It's expected to start the second week of October, weather permitting. Schroeder expects the street and the roundabout to open together.
No firm opening date has been announced. The city's September 11 notice said the intersection was still closed and that the city would post when it reopens. The schedule the city set before awarding the contract called for work to finish by November 15. That's a useful outside date while the rain delays sort themselves out.
The closure started at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 18. Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Sawgrass, and Torrey Pines closed at their Ohlman connections too. Temporary access to the corridor stayed open from Country Drive and Kemper Avenue.
The part of the project nobody will see
The full project covers North Ohlman from West 23rd Avenue to Kemper Avenue. Crews removed the old roadway and replaced it with a new street surface, sewer, water lines, and storm drains. When the city applied for financing in 2025, the plan was to replace old clay sewer lines with about 2,250 feet of PVC sewer and add about 2,200 feet of storm sewer.
The money follows the same pattern. In April 2026, the city council awarded the $3,332,000 construction contract to BX Civil & Construction Inc. As of October 2, Schroeder said the project was on budget. It's financed with a 30-year State Revolving Fund loan of $3.94 million at 4% interest. To repay that loan, the city added a surcharge of $3.55 a month for each utility customer.
So if you pay a Mitchell utility bill and never drive North Ohlman, you're still helping pay for what's under it.
The drainage runs well past the street. Schroeder said the new North Ohlman system drains into Lake Mitchell at two points. One line runs through the city cemetery and the other runs north along the road.
Why a circle and not a stoplight
The roundabout came up because the street was already being torn out. In September 2025, a traffic study by HDR and Schmucker, Paul, Nohr and Associates (SPN), compiled by engineer Jonathan Wiegand, counted about 2,200 vehicles a day through the West 23rd and North Ohlman intersection. It recommended a 150-foot single-lane roundabout as the best fit for the traffic expected there.
On September 8, 2025, SPN's Jeff McCormick gave the city council these early estimates:
| Option studied, September 2025 | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Single-lane roundabout | $910,000 |
| Traffic signals | $865,000 |
| All-way stop | $515,000 |
The roundabout was the most expensive option to build. The argument for it was about what it costs to run afterward. McCormick said a roundabout has none of the annual electricity or maintenance costs of a signalized intersection. Schroeder said roundabouts are more efficient and cost less than a traffic light, and that the concrete surface needs less upkeep than a four-way stop. City Administrator Stephanie Ellwein told the council that the roundabout wasn't in the 2026 budget, so cuts would have to be made elsewhere to add it.
The council approved moving ahead with the design on September 15, 2025. By that stage, the roundabout itself was estimated at $449,500, within $715,000 for all the intersection improvements, sidewalks included. The 2025 reports don't fully explain the difference between the $910,000 and $449,500 figures, so treat each as a snapshot from its own stage of planning. Davison County later approved the project at no cost to the county.
The crosswalk question, settled in design
Pedestrian safety got the most debate. At the April 20, 2026 council meeting, property owners along North Ohlman spent more than 40 minutes on the bike path assessments and the roundabout. One property owner asked for a push-button crosswalk with flashing lights. "It's busy and fast at that area," she said. Another property owner asked for the crosswalks to be moved farther from the intersection.
The answer was the design itself. The approaches curve to slow cars down, and the speed limit inside the circle is 15 mph. The crossings have waiting areas. "You could sit in that waiting area until it's safe to cross," Schroeder said. Council member Mike Bathke asked about a raised crosswalk like the one in front of the Corn Palace. Schroeder said that wasn't being considered.
Police Chief Dean Knippling said pedestrians and bicyclists have the right of way in an intersection or crosswalk. He also gave advice that works anywhere: "I personally wouldn't step out in any intersection until I knew the car was going to stop." Councilwoman Susan Tjarks, who represents Ward 4, where the project is, said she supported the project because she believes "this is something that is really good for our community and specifically for the people who live in this area."
The center of the circle will be grass. Johnson said landscaping might be considered later.
The path that came with the street
North Ohlman never had sidewalks before. The new concrete path runs from the roundabout to Kemper Avenue. It's 8 feet wide and was planned to connect to the existing bike trails at West 23rd and north of Kemper, for walkers, runners, and cyclists. North of Kemper, an existing Ohlman sidewalk reaches the entry lane for Lakeview Golf Course.
Fifteen lots on the east side of the street share the cost of the path. The city pays for 3 feet of its width and the property owners pay for 5. The assessments were estimated at $10 a square foot, but the bids came in around $6.80. That brought the owners' share to $63,063, or about $4,200 per lot on average. Some property owners were also paid for permanent utility easements.
At one property along the project, the path was engineered to sit lower than the street curb so the owner's trees could stay. "They were able to save those trees for me, at least in my yard. I was happy for that — 25 years of growth," the homeowner said.
Driving it the first time
South Dakota DOT's published guidance on roundabouts is short. Its basic rule is to yield to vehicles already in the circle. The Iowa and Minnesota transportation departments publish fuller guides, and they agree on the basics:
- Slow down on the approach. Yield to anyone in the entry crosswalk and to traffic already in the circle coming from your left. Enter only when there's a safe gap.
- Go counterclockwise around the center island to your exit.
- Signal right before you exit, and yield to pedestrians in the exit crosswalk.
- Give large vehicles room. The raised truck apron around the center is for the rear wheels of big rigs, not for cars. Don't drive alongside a truck in a roundabout.
- For emergency vehicles, exit first and then pull over. Don't stop inside the circle.
Pedestrians cross one approach at a time and can wait on the splitter island in the middle of each approach. For cyclists, the two states differ. Minnesota allows riding through the circle like a car or using the crosswalks. Iowa's driver manual generally recommends walking the bike across and leaves riding through to experienced cyclists. With the new path connecting right at West 23rd, many riders here will probably have the choice.
If you live off North Ohlman or Pebble Beach and want to know how the new street, the path, or the assessments might come up if you ever sell, I'm glad to help. I'm a lifelong Mitchell resident and I follow projects like this closely. Reach out to Chris Foster and let's connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
