South Dakota Department of Transportation Archives

FreightWaves Classics/ Infrastructure: Discovery Bridge opened between Nebraska and South Dakota

11 October 2022

The crowd gathered for the grand opening of Discovery Bridge on October 11, 2008. Meridian Bridge is "above" Discovery Bridge. (Photo: Dave Tunge/Dakota Aerials)

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On October 11, 2008 the Discovery Bridge was formally opened in a ceremony attended by thousands. The Discovery Bridge was built to replace the Meridian Highway Bridge, which is located approximately 1,000 feet downstream and was opened in 1924. The Meridian Bridge is “a steel, vertical...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsinfrastructure-discovery-bridge-opened-between-nebraska-and-south-dakota

FreightWaves Classics/Infrastructure: New railroad sidings opened in South Dakota

8 July 2022

An RCPE diesel locomotive. (Photo: thedieselshop.us)

South Dakota became the 40th state to join the Union in 1889. It ranks 16th in size among the 50 states, encompassing 77,123 square miles. It averages 10 people per square mile, and its total population is only about 900,000 people. (By comparison, the population density in Georgia is 149 people per square mile and 253 per square mile in California.)

Harvest time in South Dakota. (Photo: travelsouthdakota.com

South Dakota has a strong agricultural base, which remains the largest industry in the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsinfrastructure-new-railroad-sidings-opened-in-south-dakota

Federal money earmarked for truck safety in FY21 tops $380M

8 September 2021

U.S. regulators announced on Wednesday $76. 2 million in grants aimed at preventing truck crashes, bringing safety funding allocated in FY21 to more than $380 million.

The most recent grants, awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to state agencies and educational facilities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, includes $45.2 million in competitive high-priority (HP) grants to advance technological capability and promote intelligent transportation...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/federal-money-earmarked-for-truck-safety-in-fy21-tops-380m

Feds award $275 million to ease truck congestion

1 July 2021

Highway expansion projects aimed at improving the flow of truck freight in seven parts of the country will collect roughly $275 million from federal coffers in the latest round of discretionary grants awards.

The projects account for approximately 30% of the $905 million awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 2021 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grants, which were also awarded to port and rail projects.

“These timely investments in our infrastructure will...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/feds-award-275-million-to-ease-truck-congestion