July 21, 2025:
The new Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River between Pierre and Fort Pierre opened in November 2024 and work continues to remove pieces of the previous bridge structure.
South Dakota Department of Transportation Pierre Region Engineer Dean VanDeWiele says the contractor is taking away pieces of substructure concrete.
VanDeWiele says any traffic disruptions needed to accommodate the removal work should be short-term.
According to the Pierre-Fort Pierre Bridge website, light poles have been set along the new roadway and temporary luminaries are being removed— another step toward the final lighting installation.
Additionally, work is also being done on the Pierre and Fort Pierre Plaza areas on each side of the Missouri River. Because of the work on the Pierre side, bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the shared use path has been detoured. Signage has been posted immediately north of the Missouri River Bridge, directing bike and pedestrian traffic back to the shared use path by the Amphitheater in Steamboat Park. From there, the detour runs adjacent to Sioux Avenue, Poplar Avenue, Dakota Avenue, Robert Street and through Steamboat Park. The detour will be in place until early September 2025.
Images courtesy of the Pierre-Fort Pierre Bridge website.
Image courtesy of the Pierre-Fort Pierre Bridge website.
July 17, 2025:
Because work is underway (July 15, 2025) to create the plaza area on Pierre’s side of the Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron Memorial Bridge, a detour has been established for bicyclists and pedestrians traveling on the shared use path.
South Dakota Department of Transportation Pierre Area Engineer Dean VanDeWiele says signs have been posted directing people to the detour route.
VanDeWiele says all of Steamboat Park is still accessible from the walking path.
VanDeWiele says the work on Pierre’s plaza area is moving along nicely.
VanDeWiele says everything along the detour route they chose is handicapped compliant. Again, that detour is expected to be in place until early September.
July 15, 2025:
Beginning Tuesday (July 15, 2025), bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be detoured on the Pierre side of the Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River so work can begin on the creation of Pierre’s plaza area.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation says signage will be posted immediately north of the Waldron Bridge, directing bicycle and pedestrian traffic back to the shared use path north of the Amphitheater in Steamboat Park. The signed detour will run adjacent to Sioux Avenue, Poplar Avenue, Dakota Avenue, Robert Street and through Steamboat Park.
The detour will be in place until early September 2025.
Image credit to South Dakota Department of Transportation and City of Pierre.
Image credit to South Dakota Department of Transportation and City of Pierre.
Image property of South Dakota Department of Transportation and City of Pierre.
Image property of South Dakota Department of Transportation and City of Pierre.
Image property of South Dakota Department of Transportation and City of Pierre.
Image credit to South Dakota Department of Transportation and City of Pierre.
July 22, 2020:
The Pierre City Commission has approved an agreement with the South Dakota Department of Transportation to pay for a handful of enhancements to the state’s design for the Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldon Bridge over the Missouri River between Pierre and Fort Pierre.
In partnership with Fort Pierre, Pierre is adding decorative features to the state’s base bridge design including stylized light poles, two pedestrian lookout points on the bridge and architectural lighting. Additionally, Pierre is paying for decorative concrete panels on the bridge and a plaza on the Pierre side.
Pierre’s cost for those local touches is a little more than $422,000; the biggest chunk of that cost is a plaza on the east side of the new bridge. The new bridge will replace the current John C. Waldron Bridge that connects Pierre and Fort Pierre. Work is expected to begin late this year.
Below are the engineer images of the plaza area and local features on the Fort Pierre side of the bridge.
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