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Engineers find serious deck and beam deterioration; Chapel Lane Bridge to be load-posted and rebuilt if grant awarded
Summary
An engineering inspection found large deck holes, beam spalling and corroded abutments on three Rapid City bridges. The Chapel Lane Bridge will be load-posted and staff plan to pursue an 80/20 DOT grant to replace it, with construction likely in late 2026 and about 18 months to complete.
Bros Engineering told the Rapid City Public Works Committee on Aug. 12 that inspections of three city bridges — Chapel Lane, Somerset Drive and Creek Drive — revealed significant deterioration that will reduce allowable loads and, in one case, requires closing half the bridge.
The firm’s Spencer Doctor and inspector Josh Hertel said a roughly 3-foot-diameter hole was discovered in the Chapel Lane deck in April and that the deck shows widespread spalling and efflorescence. In their recommendation, Bros Engineering concluded the Chapel Lane Bridge should be load-posted at a 25% reduction of the Federal Highway Administration’s legal-vehicle loads. The city said those load ratings would go into effect on the 20th after required reporting to the South Dakota Department of Transportation and the FHWA.
The engineers also reported severe corrosion at the abutment cap under the Somerset Drive bridge, with exposed, section‑loss rebar, and progressive spalling and a…
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