Watertown City Council Approves Civil Design Inc. for 2026 Bridge Inspections: Ensuring Safety and Infrastructure Integrity
- Steve Jurrens
- Feb 17
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The City Council has moved to hire Civil Design Inc. (CDI) to conduct the 2026 bridge inspections for five local structures, a decision that included a public disclosure regarding familial ties between the firm and city leadership.
City Engineer Justin Petersen explained that the $8,000 contract is part of a bi-annual cycle required by the state. The project is 80% funded by the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
“Each year the City of Watertown recommends the DOT to hire a consultant to do bridge inspections,” Petersen explained. “The city has 13 structures that are staggered on alternate years and this year we have five structures to be inspected... The city has used Civil Design Inc. in the past several years and again recommend using CDI.”
During the discussion, Councilman Mohrmann requested clarification on the city engineer’s personal connection to the firm.
“Just for public disclosure, is your brother a project manager for Civil Design Incorporated?” Mohrmann asked. Petersen replied, “He is a project manager, but not for the bridge inspections.”
City Manager Alan Stager emphasized that CDI was selected not just on cost, but on the value of their historical data regarding Watertown’s infrastructure.
“The DOT is in the driver’s seat in terms of selection of the party,” Stager said. “That continuity of service year after year brings value, not only to the city, but it brings cost synergies to the professional firm conducting the bridge inspections. It’s no different than when we look at a financial audit... we don’t go out and find a new audit firm every year because quite frankly we couldn’t afford that bill.”
The motion to recommend CDI to the state passed unanimously.
