The South Dakota Transportation Commission has awarded $74 million to fund bridge construction projects across the state.
The commission received 268 applications. Of those, 50 were approved.
“Safe and efficient access to destinations such as schools, hospitals, farms and ranchlands are critical to our way of life in South Dakota,” said Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt. “With over 80,000 miles of roadway and 5,700 bridges across our state, sound and timely investments like those made by the South Dakota Transportation Commission this week ensure all communities have an opportunity to thrive today and into the future.”
Awards were divided into four categories, according to a press release from the DOT: permanent bridge removal, local bridges on their federal aid routes, local bridges not on their federal aid routes, and bridge improvement preliminary engineering grants.
Six applications for permanent bridge removals were received and were approved to be added to the 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan for approximately $1 million. Project recipients are in Faulk, Hand, Lake, and Lincoln counties.
Twenty-one applications for bridge rehabilitation/replacement on federal aid routes were received and eight were approved for approximately $26.3 million. Project recipients are in Beadle, Codington, Douglas, Miner, Perkins, Roberts, and Yankton counties.
The commission received 190 applications for bridge rehabilitation/replacement on non-federal aid routes were received and thirteen were approved for approximately $45.5 million. Project recipients include the City of Egan and Grant, Hand, Jackson, Jones, Lincoln, Moody, Roberts, Spink, and Turner counties.
Fifty-one applications for bridge improvement grant preliminary engineering survey and hydraulic studies were received and twenty-three were approved for approximately $1.5 million. Project recipients are in Charles Mix, Day, Grant, Hand, Lyman, McCook, Roberts, Tripp, and Union counties.