The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) says that permanent repairs to the “Singing Bridge” on S.D. Highway 1806 over the Grand River are scheduled to begin in July.
In February of this year, damage was identified on the bridge, which is located west of Mobridge and north of Highway 12, resulting in the temporary bridge closure.
Preliminary indications upon bridge inspection were that due to the extreme cold temperatures around that time, the bridge girders contracted and caused damage to the concrete support system at one bridge pier cap. The bridge was inspected and no additional damage was identified. SDDOT designed and completed a temporary solution to reopen the bridge to traffic.
“This 4,002 ft. bridge, with average daily traffic of 806 vehicles, is a vital link between Mobridge and the communities of Wakpala and Kenel on the Standing Rock Reservation,” John Villbrandt, Mobridge Area Engineer, said in a statement. “SDDOT made temporary repairs in February to reopen the bridge within days to vehicular traffic and developed a timeline for permanent repairs.”
Bids opened earlier this month for work to complete the permanent repairs for Highway 1806, and the contract was awarded to Hollaway Bridge and Culvert Inc. from Pierre, South Dakota for $240,771.
Repair work is scheduled to begin on July 6, at which time the bridge will be closed to all traffic. The contractor anticipates having all repairs completed and the bridge reopened to traffic by July 30. The department says travelers will need to use an alternate route during the road closure.
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SOURCE: South Dakota DOT
