JUNE 20, 2023:
The South Dakota Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration will hold open houses today (June 20, 2023) in Winner and tomorrow (June 21, 2023) in Platte to share information and gather public input on the SD Highway 44 Platte-Winner Bridge Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) Evaluation.
The Winner meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Express (1360 E. Highway 44) in Winner. The Platte public meeting will be held at the Platte Community Center (310 Main Street) in Platte. Both meetings are scheduled from 5:30-7pm.
Replacement of the Platte-Winner Bridge requires realignment of portions of the Highway 44 corridor immediately adjacent to the Missouri River. The total realignment represents approximately one mile of new bridge plus an additional one-half mile of new roadway on either side of the river, totaling two miles of realignment. The Snake Creek Recreation Area is located on the east side of the bridge. Due to the realignment, SDDOT has worked cooperatively with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to mitigate the potential impacts caused by the bridge project to the park.
Throughout each open house, project staff will be available with displays to discuss the project and answer questions. Information will be available on the EA and the Section 4(f) process and findings. Additional information will be available about the proposed construction timeline. SDDOT has committed to keeping the existing bridge open to traffic during construction of the proposed bridge.
In developing this project, SDDOT published the S.D. Highway 44 Platte-Winner Bridge Corridor Study in November 2019. That study established a recommended alignment for the new bridge and facilitated further coordination with agency partners including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, and SDGFP to obtain project approvals on issue areas including recreational resources and cultural/historic resources. Design and permitting are underway and construction will occur in phases starting in 2024. The new Highway 44 Bridge over the Missouri River is anticipated to be open to the public in 2027.
This EA completes a comprehensive evaluation of impacts in categories including land use, archaeological and historic resources, noise, wetlands/streams, floodplains, threatened and endangered species, recreational resources and regulated materials along the route. Due to the presence of recreational and historic resources, this environmental evaluation includes a Section 4(f) analysis which has resulted in proposed findings.
All interested persons are invited to view the EA, Section 4(f) documents, and a presentation on the project website, https://sd44bridge.com in advance of the public meeting open houses. Printed copies for onsite viewing of the EA will be available at the public meetings, the Platte City Hall (310 S. Main Street), the SDDOT Winner Area Office (1200 S.D. Highway 44 E.) in Winner, the SDDOT Mitchell Region Office (1300 Ohlman Street) in Mitchell and the SDDOT Central Office (700 E. Broadway Avenue) in Pierre.
Comments on the EA will be accepted through Friday, July 7, 2023. Written comments can be submitted at the public open houses, online at https://sd44bridge.com or by email to steve.gramm@state.sd.us. Verbal comments can also be submitted at the open house or by phone to Steve Gramm (SDDOT) at 605-773-3281, or Tim Thoreen (HR Green) at 651-659-7777.
Notice is further given to individuals with disabilities that this public open house will be held in a physically accessible place. Any individuals requiring a reasonable accommodation should submit a request to the SDDOT’s ADA Coordinator at 605-773-3540 or 1-800-877-1113 (Telecommunications Relay Services for the Deaf) at least two business days prior to the public open house.
For more information, visit https://sd44bridge.com.
JUNE 19, 2023:
The South Dakota Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District are seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the impacts of the proposed Platte-Winner Bridge replacement project located in Gregory and Charles Mix Counties on South Dakota Highway 44.
The study is being held to address the deteriorating conditions of the Platte-Winner Bridge and review the SD44 corridor and identify any safety issues. The purpose of the proposed project is to construct a new two-lane bridge carrying Highway 44 over Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River to replace the aging existing Platte-Winner Bridge.
The current alignment of SD44 over the river has experienced numerous landslides, resulting in millions of dollars in repair and mitigation efforts since the bridge opened in 1966. The proposed project will include an emphasis on minimizing environmental and socioeconomic impacts.
The SDDOT has prepared a draft EA in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and USACE.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft EA which can be viewed and downloaded at: https://sd44bridge.com/documents/.
Comments should be submitted electronically by Friday, July 7, 2023, at: https://sd44bridge.com/comments/.
For more information about this proposed project, visit: https://sd44bridge.com.
Comments