Codington County Bridge Report Shows Progress as Cottonwood Street Bridge Closure Highlights $18.7M Infrastructure Need
- Steve Jurrens
- Aug 19
- 3 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County’s bridge infrastructure is showing steady signs of progress, though local officials still face millions of dollars in future replacement costs, according to the 2026 annual bridge inspection report presented to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday.
Engineers Mark Yunker and Josh Olson of Banner Associates delivered the detailed review during the commission’s regular meeting, evaluating the 42 county-owned structures that span 20 feet or longer. Ten bridges are currently classified in poor condition—down from 12 last year. Additionally, 10 structures remain under weight limit restrictions, including two on county asphalt roads, which also marks an improvement from four restricted asphalt bridges last year.
“Ten of these bridges are in poor condition. That is better than last year,” Yunker told the board. “There were 12 last year, so you’re headed in the right direction.”
Cottonwood Street Bridge Closed for Safety
Despite overall progress, severe deterioration forced the recent closure of a key structure over the Big Sioux River on Highway 2 (Cottonwood Street).
“You’ve got some crushing of your piling. You’ve got a little bit of rotation. You’ve got separating of your planks,” Yunker explained. “It was just not in a good condition. It was not something I was comfortable leaving open, so I recommended closure.”
The county has already fully designed a replacement bridge for the site, but narrowly missed the funding cutoff during the last state grant cycle. County officials plan to reapply for funding on January 27, 2027, with the bridge remaining closed until a full replacement can be completed.
Five-Year Infrastructure Plan and Funding Hurdles
Over the next decade, 11 county bridges will require full replacement, including five located on major county asphalt routes. The county’s updated five-year plan submitted to the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) outlines $18.7 million in total bridge work, representing approximately $7.8 million in local matching costs. That total footprint is down from $24 million listed last year as several major projects wrapped up.
Among those recently finished was the heavily traveled 14th Avenue Northwest bridge—a $2 million project serving roughly 5,000 vehicles per day.
“That old bridge was beyond its lifespan. I’m super happy that we don’t have to look at that old bridge anymore,” Yunker said.
To secure grant money through South Dakota’s competitive $15 million Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) pool, Commissioners Lee Gabel and Troy VanDusen discussed strategies to make local applications more competitive. Codington County currently earns four points on state grant scoring under its wheel tax structure, compared to neighboring counties that earn the maximum 10 points.
Yunker noted that the county could alternatively boost its application scores by voluntarily increasing its local matching funds above the standard 20% minimum.
“The minimum the county has to cost share a project is 20%,” Yunker noted. “But you can cost share a project, say like if you wanted to cost share a project, 50%, that would increase your points by 10.”
Meanwhile, progress continues on other key corridors. SDDOT will bid a new box culvert project on Highway 11 north of SD Highway 20 this September, with the state covering 82% of the project costs. Design work is also underway for priority replacements on 177th Street and Oak Street over Willow Creek.
