Harrisburg Pushes for Lower Speed Limit on Highway 115 Amid Safety Concerns

Harrisburg officials are seeking a speed limit reduction on Highway 115 due to rising traffic and safety concerns, but state transportation leaders say a lower limit may not improve conditions.

By Riley Harrington November 26, 2025 1:19 pm

Harrisburg South Dakota Highway 115 speed limit Highway 115 safety concerns Harrisburg traffic South Dakota Transportation Commission Harrisburg High School traffic speed limit reduction proposal South Dakota traffic engineering Highway 115 accidents fastest growing city South Dakota Harrisburg city administrator left-turn lane extension South Dakota road safety Mitchell Now traffic news — Metro Services

MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Harrisburg officials are asking the state to lower the speed limit on Highway 115 as traffic volumes rise in South Dakota’s fastest-growing city. But so far, the South Dakota Transportation Commission has declined a proposal to reduce the speed from 55 mph to 45 mph.

Harrisburg City Administrator and Engineer Heath VonEye said the concern comes largely from local drivers who use the highway for short, frequent trips within the community.

“It’s really the local traffic that I think feels this impact the most,” VonEye said. “The people that are trying to get across this highway, the people getting onto this highway to drive a couple streets up and then turn off of it again. It’s that local traffic generation and movements that are feeling unsafe the most.”

Highway 115 has seen numerous crashes in recent years, particularly near Harrisburg High School. State traffic engineers, however, have told the city that lowering the speed limit could increase risk by creating larger speed differences between local and through-traffic.

To improve safety in the meantime, the state is extending a left-turn lane in the high-traffic stretch near the school.

Crime

9 hours ago

Attorney General Jackley Commends South Dakota Supreme Court For Affirming Elder Abuse, Grand Theft Case

The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a Spink County man who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his elderly mother, rejecting claims of insufficient evidence and trial errors.

Crime

9 hours ago

New U.S. Attorney Intensifies Efforts Against Drug Trafficking in South Dakota

South Dakota’s newly confirmed U.S. Attorney says federal prosecutors are accelerating efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations as part of nationwide directives.

Business

9 hours ago

Harrisburg Pushes for Lower Speed Limit on Highway 115 Amid Safety Concerns

Harrisburg officials are seeking a speed limit reduction on Highway 115 due to rising traffic and safety concerns, but state transportation leaders say a lower limit may not improve conditions.

Crime

9 hours ago

U.S. Attorney’s Office Kept Prosecuting Cases During Federal Shutdown

U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons says his office continued prosecuting violent crime, drug cases and child exploitation during the 43-day federal government shutdown, securing nearly 300 years in prison sentences.

People

10 hours ago

Cold Snap Expected to Continue as More Snow Moves Into Northeast South Dakota

South Dakota is heading into a stretch of below-average temperatures and another chance of snowfall over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Weather Service.