Later this spring, the new veterans’ cemetery will open thanks to the work of many stakeholders over the past several years. The number of people who attended the groundbreaking in the pouring rain last year is a testament to the broad support for the project. The cemetery will honor the brave South Dakotans who have served our country and attract visitors from across the state and the region.
Slip Up Creek Road, off Jim Zweep Highway, provides the only access to the cemetery entrance.
The road, under township jurisdiction, is outside of city limits of a municipality and is also not a county road. Townships generally do not have sufficient funds to purchase equipment to pave or maintain paved roads. While a small section of Slip up Creek Road is currently paved with private dollars from Andy’s Acres planned development, paving the remaining portion is costly.
While some visitors to the cemetery will travel from Minnehaha County, the veterans’ cemetery is a statewide and regional facility and destination. The cemetery should be accessible by a paved road to accommodate the significant level of traffic expected at this site.
The Minnehaha County Commission continues to visit with stakeholders and would like to help find a way to provide appropriate access to the cemetery. The South Dakota Department of Transportation, legislators, Minnehaha County, and others have discussed many aspects of this project, including who would maintain the road if it is paved. These conversations are crucial to continue to move the process forward.
Senators Jim Stalzer and Larry Zikmund were the primary sponsors of the bill to authorize the cemetery in the state budget several years ago. They continue to work on moving project details forward. This year, Sen. Stalzer has brought legislation (SB 181) forward to authorize $4+ million dollars to fund construction of the road. The bill has an emergency clause, which would allow funds to be accessed immediately upon signature of the Governor, if the bill also passes both chambers of the legislature.
There is still work left to accomplish to ensure the road to the cemetery gets paved. More clarity will be provided as SB 181 works its way through the legislative process.
