Existed: Circa 1950 – present Length 20.06 km | ||
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East end: Iowa state line near Akron, Ia. | ||
South Dakota Highway 48 (SD 48) is a short state route in the far southeast corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota. The route, which runs entirely through Union County, begins at Interstate 29 about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Spink, and becomes Big Sioux River Road, formerly Iowa Highway 403, northwest of Akron, Iowa. It is 12 miles (19 km) in length.
Contents
Map of SD-48, South Dakota, USA
Route description
SD 48 begins at I-29 exit 31, approximately 44 miles (71 km) south of Sioux Falls. From this diamond interchange, SD 48 travels due east. It near immediately meets County Road 1C, an old alignment of US 77. Two miles east of the CR 1C intersection, SD 48 passes through the town of Spink.
East of Spink, SD 48 gently curves to the north as it descends a rolling hill towards Brule Creek. After crossing the stream, the highway ascends, bending back to the south to resume its due east course. Over the next several miles, the road remains arrow-straight while traversing gently rolling farmland. Just under ten miles (just over sixteen kilometers) east of I-29, SD 48 serves as the southern terminus of SD 11. About ⅓ mi. (½ km) from the SD 11 junction, SD 48 crosses a bridge over West Union Creek; one mile (1.6 km) later, it crosses East Union Creek. For the remainder of the route, the road gradually S-curves southwest into the Big Sioux River valley. At the Big Sioux River, the road crosses the Iowa state line and ends.
History
South Dakota 48 was established on a previously unnumbered highway between 1948 and 1953. It began at U.S. Highway 77 (current Union County Road 1C). No significant changes have been made, except for a slight extension to meet Interstate 29 to the west, and a slight realignment at the Iowa border.