PIERRE, S.D.(KCCR)- With snow well in the back seat until later this year the 2023-2024 winter maintenance season for South Dakota highways turned out pretty good for the Department of Transportation.  Director of Operations Craig Smith says they used less money to plow snow this year.

Smith says far fewer snowplows were involved in crashes last winter too.

Smith says they also succeeded in issuing one closure of a secondary state highway and the state’s 5-1-1 system should be ready next winter for counties and Tribes to enter road closures on those routes.

Interstates were closed only once around Christmas in South Dakota last winter driving season.