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Minnehaha County approves bridge load postings, amends five‑year plan and seeks preliminary engineering grants
Summary
The commission adopted a resolution reducing or removing legal load postings on county structures, amended its 2025–2029 bridge plan to include a replacement structure, and authorized submission of preliminary‑engineering (PE) grant applications (with 20% local participation) for three bridges to the South Dakota DOT.
The Minnehaha County Commission on July 22 adopted a resolution to revise legal load limits on multiple county bridge structures, approved an amendment to the county's 2025–2029 Bridge Improvement Plan to add a replacement structure, and authorized submission of preliminary‑engineering grant applications to the South Dakota Department of Transportation for three bridges.
Highway Superintendent Jacob Morris told commissioners the county inspects roughly half its bridges each year with consultant assistance and the DOT’s help. “This year … Chris with Civil Design Inc identified one structure that needs to have a posting lowered,” Morris said, explaining that one bridge’s weight limit will be reduced while several recently replaced structures will be removed from the posting list.
Morris said adding the replacement structure to the five‑year plan is required to include it in the PE grant application due in August. He described the PE grant as funding a type‑size‑and‑location review and roughly a 30% design, which allows the county and consultant to determine structure type, size and orientation and begin coordination with adjacent landowners and agencies. “So we would like to include it in the PE grant, which is due in August,” he said.
Commissioners also authorized applications for PE work and agreed to a 20% local cost participation to design three bridges that the county plans to replace within the next five years. Commissioners asked how DOT grant‑scoring worked and whether the county’s projects would be competitive; Morris said the scoring follows a formula in the DOT handbook, that the county’s recent and planned actions (including load postings and the upcoming wheel‑tax timing) can affect scoring, and that he believes the projects will generally be competitive.
On construction timing, Morris said projected in‑service dates are several years out and depend on DOT competitiveness and posting status; he identified 2029 and 2030 as likely target frames for some structures. The commission moved, seconded and carried the resolutions and the PE authorizations by roll call.
The actions update the county’s bridge inventory and begin design work needed before construction. The county will pursue PE grant awards from the South Dakota DOT and follow DOT guidance on cost participation and project scheduling.
