Interstate 229 South Dakota
Overview
Interstate 229 in South Dakota is an urban loop serving the southern and eastern areas of metropolitan Sioux Falls. The freeway provides a cutoff between I-29 near Tea to the south and Interstate 90 near Brandon to the east. I-229 also serves commuting interests, providing a faster route to Downtown Sioux Falls than I-29 to the west.
Additionally, a 4.4 mile long Business Loop for I-229 provides a direct route to the Sioux Falls City center via Minnesota Avenue from the south and the couplet of E 10th and 11th Streets to the east. The business loop is maintained by the city and signed partially as “Downtown Loop I-229.”
The 26th Street Corridor Study evaluates proposed work to reconfigure the folded diamond interchange joining I-229 with E 26th Street and Yeager Road. Additional interchange improvements are considered as part of the I-229 Corridor Study.
Northward view of Interstate 229 at the exchanges with Rice Street, Benson Road and I-90 in Sioux Falls, SD. 08/13/16
History
HistoryInterstate 229 was completed by 1962.1 Per the 1962 USGS Quadrangle maps, the interchanges with Louise Avenue, E 26th Street and Benson Road were unbuilt. The south end interchange consisted of just a wye with no access from I-29 south to I-229 north or I-229 south to I-29 north.
Route Information
North End – Sioux Falls, SD
South End – Sioux Falls, SD
Mileage – 11.33
Cities – Sioux Falls
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-229 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Source: 2019 South Dakota Traffic Flow Map, South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT).
Until 1962, the alignment of I-29 through Sioux Falls was proposed to extend north from where I-229 travels now to Millbank. This took Interstate 29 east of what was U.S. 77 to Tunerville.
Construction completed by November 16, 2016 at the south end of I-229 replaced the I-29 overpasses and realigned the loop ramp from I-29 south to I-229 north. This was part of an I-29 expansion project between Exit 73 near Tea and the 57th Street overpass in Sioux Falls. Phase 1 of the project was completed by late July 2016. Phase 2 followed with the replacement of both the northbound span on I-29 at I-229 and the ramp from I-29 south to I-229 north.1
Construction on I-29 north at I-229 in Sioux Falls #southdakota All traffic using the southbound side. #roads pic.twitter.com/cSE1aQehRl
— AARoads (@AARoads) August 6, 2016
 Photo Guides
 Photo GuidesNorth End 
– Sioux Falls, SD
West at 
Interstate 90 advances west through rural areas from Exit 402 with Minnehaha County Route 121 (478th Avenue) to the north end of I-229. This exchange was converted to a SPUI in 2019/20. 08/12/16
Interstate 90 crosses Slip-up Creek one mile ahead of Exit 400 for I-229 south. 06/17/15
Providing a direct route to I-29 south for interests to Sioux City, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska, Interstate 229 loops southward from Exit 400 through Sioux Falls. 06/17/15
East at
Opened in November 2010, the addition of the exchange at Marion Road resulted in a new community interchanges identification sign posted for the Sioux Falls area exits from Interstate 90 east. Photo by Joseph Barnes (06/04/15).
Leaving the cloverleaf interchange with I-29, Interstate 90 progresses two miles east to span the Big Sioux River ahead of Exit 400 with I-229 south. 06/17/15
Passing over Cliff Avenue, Interstate 90 is three quarters of a mile out from the half cloverleaf interchange (Exit 400) with I-229 south. 06/17/15
The diamond interchange (Exit 399) with Cliff Avenue (Business Spur I-90/SD 115) was converted to a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) by November 2013. Associated work along I-90 added an auxiliary lane eastward to Interstate 229 south. 06/17/15
Interstate 229 heads south back into Sioux Falls as I-90 leaves the area via Brandon to southwest Minnesota. 06/17/15
North at 
The first signs for the pending junction with Interstate 90 appear on the Benson Road overpass. Most other bridge mounted signs in Sioux Falls were removed by 2015. 02/21/20
Interstate 229 continues north by an industrial park area between Benson Road and the freeway end at I-90 and Minnehaha County Route 125. 02/21/20
Exit 10A departs the northbound I-229 mainline at the E 60th Street overpass. Control cities are not used at any of the Interstate junctions in Sioux Falls. 02/21/20
A loop ramp follows onto Interstate 90 west across the north side of Sioux Falls. The freeway mainline defaults onto County Route 125 northward toward Renner. 06/17/15
CR 125 (476th Avenue) stems north through agricultural areas and a handful of rural subdivisions on a parallel alignment east of SD 115 (old U.S. 77). 06/17/15
South at
CR 125 emerges from a rural area of Mapleton township and upgrades to a divided highway at the half cloverleaf interchange between I-90 and I-229. 06/17/15
A begin shield stands ahead of the loop ramp bringing motorists from I-90 west onto I-229 south. 06/17/15
North End Throwback
East at
Replaced overheads on I-90 for Exit 400 indicated traffic to keep left or right for the respective freeways. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
The previous ramp configuration for I-229 south on I-90 east at Exit 400. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
West at
This set of signs at I-229 south was replaced during work to expand I-90 west to SD 115 in 2013. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
North at
E 60th Street spans I-229 as Exit 10A departed for I-90 east. A new sign bridge replaced these overheads. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
This ground level sign directed motorists onto the loop ramp for I-90 west from the freeway end of I-229 north. It was replaced by a new sign bridge. CR 125 north was referenced as simply Township Road on previous signage. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
County Route 125 previously transitioned into a gravel road a quarter mile beyond the exchange of I-90/229. The road is now fully paved northward into Mapleton township. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
South at
A shield assembly referenced motorists to stay left for I-229 south at the entrance ramp from I-90 west. There is no access to I-90 from CR 125 otherwise. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
Replaced sometime before 2007, the first southbound shield posted for Interstate 229 included the state name. Photo by Jay Maynard (01/05/02).
South End – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
South at 
Passing under Western Avenue, two miles north of Interstate 29 on I-229 south. 06/17/15
The final exit on southbound Interstate 229 is Exit 1C to Louise Avenue and The Empire Mall area. 08/06/16
Southbound Interstate 229 passes under Louise one mile ahead of the trumpet interchange (Exits 1B/A) with I-29. 02/21/20
Traffic partitions for Exit 1B back into Sioux Falls and the Exit 1A mainline connection to I-29 south to Sioux City, Iowa. 02/21/20
North at
I-29 and I-229 split in the southwestern suburbs of Sioux Falls. Commuter traffic joins I-29 north from growth in the Tea area west of Exit 73. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/03/20).
A third northbound lane was added from the Tea interchange through Exit 75 as part of the 2015-16, I-29 expansion project. Photos by Peter Johnson (05/03/20).
Entering the trumpet interchange (Exit 75) with Interstate 229 north on I-29 north. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/03/20).
I-229 provides a direct route to Downtown via Business Loop I-229/SD 115 (S Minnesota Avenue). Photo by Peter Johnson (05/03/20).
South at
Advancing to the commercialized diamond interchange (Exit 77) with W 41st Street on I-29 south, 2.5 miles ahead of Interstate 229 north. 02/21/20
An older overhead for Interstate 229 remains at the W 41st Street overpass. 02/21/20
Passing under W 57th Street, I-29 south departs Minnehaha County and next meets the loop ramp for return access to I-229 north. 02/21/20
A lane drop occurs along I-29 south for the loop ramp (Exit 75) to Interstate 229. 02/21/20
I-29 continues south from Interstate 229 toward the suburb of Tea. I-229 angles northeast to the Big Sioux River. 02/21/20
South End Throwback
South at
The final reassurance shield for Interstate 229 south. I-229 passes by Avera Heart Hospital just beyond the parclo interchange with Louise Avenue. Photo by Jeff Morrison (06/26/06).
A diagrammatic sign for Interstate 29 replaced these panels at the Louise Avenue overpass. Photo by Jeff Royston (03/18/05).
The south end of I-229 prior to construction of the Solberg Avenue overpass. Photo by Jeff Royston (03/18/05).
The south end of Interstate 229 during 2015-16 construction to expand I-29 between the Tea interchange and W 58th Street. 06/17/15
South at
One mile north of Interstate 229 at W 57th Street. 06/17/15
A former railroad line paralleled I-229 northeast to Exit 5 with E 26th Street. Construction through 2016 relocated Exit 75 slightly north to improve the ramp geometry. Photo by Jeff Morrison (06/26/06).
North at
Heading to the split with I-229 north along Interstate 29 with only four lanes instead of six. Photo by Jeff Morrison (06/26/06).
I-29 north at the original trumpet interchange with Interstate 229 north at Exit 75. Photo by Jeff Morrison (06/26/06).
Sources:
http://www.sddot.com/dot/publicmeetings/pubmeet_I29I229.aspx- The South Dakota Highways Page: Highways 201 to 1806.
http://www.northernplainshighways.org/sdakota/sd200up.html
Page updated July 1, 2022.