The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has awarded 24 preservation, rehabilitation, and replacement Bridge Improvement Grants (BIG) totaling approximately $20 million to 13 counties throughout the state.
The goal of the grant process is to enhance the overall condition of critical assets that South Dakotans are dependent upon every day. These structures provide the link that drives the interconnectedness of the state’s overall transportation system, while enhancing statewide economic development overall.
“Today the South Dakota Transportation Commission reinforced their commitment to improving the efficiency, safety, and access of the transportation system throughout our state,” said Joel Jundt, secretary of transportation, in a statement. “The BIG program continues to be vital for the necessary preservation, rehabilitation, and replacement of local government structures, and the SDDOT commends the Transportation Commission for their continued commitment to provide state funding for this vital local government program.”
Sixty-six applications, totaling $82 million in total project costs, were received by SDDOT. In total, four cities submitted three applications and 30 counties submitted 63 applications. In order to be eligible for a BIG grant, a county must impose a wheel tax. In addition, a county must have a County Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan to detail proposed county highway and bridge improvement projects within the county over the next five years.
Each year, $7 million is dedicated from the license plate fees and from non-commercial vehicle fees. In addition, SDDOT annually sets aside $8 million per year of state highway funds, to make a total of $15 million available for BIG.
This grant cycle, SDDOT reallocated approximately $6.8 million from closed projects and awarded approximately $1.5 million in preliminary engineering (PE) grants last August, approximately $7.9 million in preservation (PR) grants, and approximately $11.9 million in replacement/rehabilitation (RE) grants for a total investment of $21.3 million.
A full list of this year's recipients is available on SDDOT's website.
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Source: The South Dakota Department of Transportation
