Is a new four-way stop needed in Dell Rapids?  That question was raised at the last regular Dell Rapids City Council meeting of 2018.  Jody Brust, owner of Jody’s Collision & Auto in Dell Rapids, raised a concern to the council about the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Centennial Place.

“I guess I just gotta concern with the truck traffic now with the truck route.  There’s many occasions where there’s some trucks really moving down the road, more than 40 mph, in some cases, both ways,” said Brust.  “I think it’s a huge safety issue for the city, myself, now that you own the roads.  That intersection is definitely a problem.”

After Brust brought his concern to the council, Dell Rapids Mayor Tom Earley and City Administrator Justin Weiland responded to his concerns.

“One thing that we could do is more prominent display of the posting of the mileage on that street.  In the past we have had conversations, particularly with the people at L.G. Everist, about informing the people that truck their commodity about traffic issues, speed limit issues, etc.  That’s something else we could do,” said Mayor Earley.

Weiland mentioned that the city worked with L.G. Everist when making the change in the truck route to get their input and get their support.  It was mentioned in those conversations that removing the stop sign at that intersection would be helpful to the truckers.  However, Weiland also mentioned that after concerns about the traffic at that intersection have been brought to the city’s attention, the quarry would support whatever the council wanted to do with the intersection.

“We’re going to enforce the speed limit.  The speed limit is 25 mph.  It’s not 45, it’s not 35, it’s 25. That’s the speed limit, and every one should be driving that route at 25 mph, or they should get a ticket,” said Councilman Mike Geraets.

The council did not take any action on the question about making the intersection a four-way stop.  Mayor Earley mentioned that the city would work to improve signage to better display the speed limit and ask the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department to monitor the area more closely.  After a couple of months of monitoring the situation, he said that the council will revisit the request and make a formal decision at that time.