South Dakota DOT gets 99 applications for Bridge Improvement Grant funds

Updated Feb 18, 2016
The Chamberlain Bridge spans the Missouri River and links the towns of Chamberlain and Oacoma, SD.The Chamberlain Bridge spans the Missouri River and links the towns of Chamberlain and Oacoma, SD.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has received 99 applications for its Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) funds system, a program the state created last year that makes $9 million available for bridge projects.

SDDOT will forward their recommendations to the South Dakota Transportation Commission, which will then make a decision on the approved projects by April 30.

The biggest portion of the financing available, $7 million, comes from funds drawn from license plate fees, with the remainder being provided by the SDDOT. Municipalities must provide at least 20 percent in matching funds and are required to use the funds in three years.

SDDOT says 30 counties submitted 90 applications and seven cities submitted nine applications for a total of $16.8 million in funds requested. The agency reports that more than 1,000 bridges in the state are eligible for replacement on the local government road system.

BIG eligibility requirements call for counties to have a wheel tax in place, to have submitted a County Highway and Bridge Improvement 5-Year plan to SDDOT with the bridge grant included in the documentation.

Grants received were divided into three categories:

  • Replacement. These projects will be ranked using a point system based on condition, detour route length, traffic counts, economic development factors, amount of wheel tax as well as added financial commitment. SDDOT says nine applications were submitted in this category at a value of roughly $7 million.
  • Rehabilitation. Twenty applications were submitted in this category at a value of roughly $7.8 million. Rehabilitation projects include deck overlays, railing repairs, riprap for scour protection and backwall repair.
  • Preliminary engineering. Municipalities submitted seventy applications for this category estimated at $2 million. SDDOT says some municipalities after this step, which includes surveying, hydraulic analysis and structure sizing, may decide to construct bridges on their own without grant funding.