US 16 and the odd expressway surrounding of Rockerville

[Max Rockatansky]

Came across Rockerville, SD in my photo albums and the odd expressway of US 16 alignment which is bisected by Main Street today:

http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2018/08/2016-summer-mountain-trip-part-7.html

So, I know that Rockerville was "bypassed" in the 1970s but why the hell were the travel lanes bisected?  The terrain didn't seem bad enough that US 16 couldn't have been routed onto either side of Rockerville.

[SD Mapman]

Came across Rockerville, SD in my photo albums and the odd expressway of US 16 alignment which is bisected by Main Street today:

http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2018/08/2016-summer-mountain-trip-part-7.html

So, I know that Rockerville was "bypassed" in the 1970s but why the hell were the travel lanes bisected?  The terrain didn't seem bad enough that US 16 couldn't have been routed onto either side of Rockerville.

Likely answer is that it was cheaper; that is the primary driver around here (plus the landowners on either side likely wouldn't have been happy if both lanes went around).

[Tom958]

Bifurcated, not bisected.