National Bridge Inventory: South Dakota



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 2,192 bridges.
  • This compares to 2,404 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, South Dakota will receive a total of $225.0 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • South Dakota currently has access to $180.0 million of that total, and has committed $65.9 million towards 62 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 5,883 bridges in the state, 945, or 16.1 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 1,018 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 8.4 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in South Dakota

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Brown 1954 21,635 Urban other principal arterial US012 over Moccasin Ck
Minnehaha 1979 13,800 Rural minor arterial 49th Street over Big Sioux River
Minnehaha 1986 9,363 Urban minor arterial S. Cliff Avenue over Big Sioux River
Minnehaha 1989 8,815 Rural Interstate I090 W over Sd038
Union 1960 8,020 Rural Interstate I029 N over 302 St (Fas 6372)
Moody 1966 7,985 Rural Interstate I029 N over Big Sioux Rv
Moody 1966 7,985 Rural Interstate I029 S over Big Sioux Rv
Hughes 1950 7,155 Urban minor arterial Capitol Ave over Capitol Lake Outlet
Minnehaha 1975 5,300 Urban minor arterial River Boulevard over Big Sioux River
Codington 1974 4,970 Urban minor arterial 14th Ave. N, Wtn. over Big Sioux Rv
Pennington 1974 4,700 Urban collector Chapel Lane over Rapid Ck
Brule 1952 4,431 Rural minor arterial Sd050 over R&W RR
Lawrence 1988 3,981 Urban collector Grant Street over Spearfish Ck
Yankton 1976 3,980 Urban collector W 23rd Street over Marne Creek
Davison 1946 3,776 Rural arterial Sd037 over Ck
Beadle 1960 3,601 Urban other principal arterial US014 over James Rv
Minnehaha 1953 3,442 Rural minor arterial Sd011 over West Pipestone Ck
Brown 1959 3,041 Rural arterial US281 over Elm Rv
Edmunds 1974 2,666 Rural arterial US012 over Ck
Lyman 1953 2,622 Rural local road I090 Wf over R&W RR
Grant 1914 2,560 Urban local road 2nd Avenue over BNSF Railroad
Minnehaha 1966 2,419 Rural major collector 258th St, Hwy 130 over Big Sioux River
Pennington 1947 2,378 Rural arterial US385 over Horse Ck
Brown 1974 2,069 Urban collector 10th Avenue SE over Moccasin Creek
Lawrence 1934 2,000 Rural major collector County Rd 014B over Miller Ck

Bridge Inventory: South Dakota

Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 332 201,626 1,992,569 4 4,186 32,805
Rural arterial 466 268,197 1,023,426 11 7,935 18,103
Rural minor arterial 543 247,028 716,997 17 18,280 32,241
Rural major collector 1,174 342,919 499,386 131 29,747 45,295
Rural minor collector 237 61,567 42,247 48 7,935 8,272
Rural local road 2,704 387,223 219,837 714 78,609 50,220
Urban Interstate 122 111,639 1,804,893 0 0 0
Urban freeway/expressway 8 11,068 68,609 0 0 0
Urban other principal arterial 79 103,136 894,274 2 2,761 25,236
Urban minor arterial 94 84,813 751,688 5 4,936 27,138
Urban collector 55 33,389 178,866 4 1,403 14,730
Urban local road 69 18,566 60,909 9 2,249 4,943
Total 5,883 1,871,169 8,253,701 945 158,040 258,983

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,106 $912 594,465 253,725
Widening & rehabilitation 1 $2 21,635 811
Rehabilitation 421 $281 190,358 115,352
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 49 $81 133,891 33,132
Other structural work 615 $279 234,896 114,442
Total 2,192 $1,555 1,175,245 517,462

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2023 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

3
Compared to 3 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
2. West Virginia 18.0%
3. South Dakota 16.0%
4. Maine 15.0%

19
Compared to 18 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
18. Mississippi 967
19. South Dakota 945
20. Tennessee 887

8
Compared to 9 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
7. Maine 10.0%
8. South Dakota 8.0%
9. Washington 8.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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