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City engineers flag two Yankton bridges as 'poor,' commission seeks grant for Cedar Street replacement
Summary
Banner Associates reported 10 of Yankton's 12 bridges rated 'good' and two—Cedar Street (posted at 75% of legal loads) and 20 Third Street (posted at 50%)—in poor condition; the commission authorized submission of a grant application to replace Cedar Street and discussed monitoring and timelines.
Lucas Johnson of Banner Associates told the Yankton City Commission that the 2024 bridge-inspection cycle examined all 12 city bridges and found 10 in good condition and two in poor condition, triggering weight limits and near-term replacement planning.
"There are currently 2 bridges in Yankton that are in poor enough condition where we have weight limit restrictions on them," Johnson said, identifying Cedar Street (posted at 75% of legal loads) and 20 Third Street (posted at 50%). He described the poor ratings as stemming from serious substructure and deck-component deterioration, including "section loss" in steel piles and deterioration of shear connections between double-T deck units.
Johnson explained that federal rules require bridge inspections on a two-year cycle and that construction funding typically uses an 80% state DOT cost share with a 20% local share. "Cedar Street is scoring right now at about a 49," he said, noting past funding cutoffs (the lowest funded score in 2023 was 51 and in 2022 was 46) and that the city would submit a grant application at year end to pursue replacement funding.
Commissioners pressed staff on timelines and interim safety. City staff said 20 Third Street is in preliminary engineering and currently scheduled for replacement in 2026 under the city's budget; staff also said the city could move to full design sooner or fully city-fund construction to advance the timetable. On enforcement of postings, staff acknowledged signs and outreach to commercial users but said physical enforcement is difficult.
The commission voted to approve a resolution authorizing submission of the bridge-improvement grant application, right-of-way certification and utility certification for the Cedar Street replacement. A commissioner asked why the project's projected cost in the packet was roughly $3 million higher than earlier estimates; staff attributed the increase to higher materials and labor costs since initial estimates.
What happens next: staff will submit the grant application and continue preliminary engineering on 20 Third Street; if grant funding is not awarded, the city may consider moving forward with city funding or delaying work. The commission recorded roll-call approval of the grant authorization.
Sources: presentation and Q&A with Lucas Johnson (Banner Associates) and city staff during the Dec. 9 Yankton City Commission meeting.
