The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) a $65 million grant through the Competitive Highway Bridge Program to replace the 60-year-old S.D. Highway 44 Platte‑Winner Bridge.
The bridge has experienced multiple landslides, resulting in millions of dollars in repair and mitigation costs since opening to traffic in 1966.
The Platte‑Winner Bridge is the longest bridge in South Dakota, spanning 5,655 feet across the Missouri River. The replacement project will widen the roadway by eight feet. Two 12‑foot lanes will remain, while shoulder widths will increase from two feet to six feet.
Officials said the approximately $200 million project would likely begin later this year. Once the new bridge is completed and traffic is shifted, the existing bridge will be demolished.
The Highway 44 Platte‑Winner Bridge is one of nine bridges crossing the Missouri River in South Dakota. Without it, the nearest crossings would require detours of more than 50 miles.
SDDOT said construction activity could result in lane closures with alternating one‑way traffic or short, temporary stops to allow construction equipment to move. Officials said disruptions will be temporary and timed to minimize impacts on drivers.
South Dakota previously received $25 million for the project through Congressional directed spending.
Photo by Robert So from Pexels
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