State transportation officials are revising the schedule of a bridge construction project in the Pierre-Fort Pierre area. The John C. Waldron Memorial Bridge opened in the 1960s and has deteriorated significantly over the years. In 2016, the South Dakota Department of Transportation decided to build a new bridge with the same name 10 feet north of the existing structure.
Initial construction is taking place underwater so it's not visible to the public. It involves drilled shafts which will serve as the foundation for the new bridge. But the contractor Jensen Construction Company is having difficulty with its drilling equipment and needs to replace some tools.
Originally the project's completion date was December of 2022, but the Department of Transportation now anticipates the bridge will not be open to traffic until December 2023, and fully completed in the summer of 2024.
The project cost is estimated at around $50 million with combined funding from federal, state and local funds.
More information on the project can be found here www.pierre-ftpierrebridge.com
