Construction to replace South Dakota’s longest bridge could start next year.
The Platte-Winner bridge first opened in 1966 and stretches 5,655 feet long and is 28 feet wide with two 12 foot wide traffic lanes.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has been studying how to replace bridges across the Missouri River since 2016.
According to SDDOT planning squad leader Steve Gramm, most of the state’s bridges over the river were built around the same time in reaction to surrounding dams.
“When they’re all built at the same time, they all start deteriorating at the same sort of time and need to be replaced at the same time,” Gramm told KELOLAND News. “The department can’t necessarily afford to replace them all at the same time so we kind of set up a master plan for how we’re going to replace those Missouri River bridges.”
Federally required Environmental Assessment was completed last month on the Platte-Winner bridge. Public comments are being received on the study until July 7.
The Environmental assessment said the existing bridge will need demolishing and that a “refined north skew alternative” with a 36 foot wide bridge deck that allows for six foot wide shoulders is the recommended alternative.
Gramm said better design and materials will enable the new Platte-Winner bridge to have a lifespan of 100 years.
“Time has caused probably the most damage,” Gramm said about the current bridge. “Technology has changed a little bit on construction techniques and we’ve learned some things from observing the existing bridge over the last nearly 70 years.”
SDDOT will be holding public meetings in Winner on Tuesday, June 20 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and in Platte on Wednesday, June 21 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
“We invite the public to come join those meetings and learn more about the project and give us comments on those projects,” Gramm said. “If no real roadblocks come up in this period of comments, we’re hoping we’ll start work sometime in 2024. The general public probably won’t see a lot of road or bridge work starting until about 2025.”
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Source: KELOLAND News
