April 10, 2026:
The South Dakota Department of Transportation’s (SDDOT) Highway 44 Platte-Winner Bridge replacement project has received a $65 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP). This is in addition to $25 million previously received through a Congressional Directed Spending request during the federal appropriations process.
State Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt said the Platte-Winner bridge is one of six bridges over the Missouri River on the State’s transportation system that has served its useful life and needs to be replaced. He said the USDOT funding is greatly appreciated as it gives the state the necessary funding to construct this critical structure.
Opening to traffic in 1966 at a length of 5,655 feet, the Platte-Winner Bridge is the longest bridge in the state of South Dakota…. and one of only nine bridges across the Missouri River in the entire state. The total estimated cost for the replacement project is more than $200 million.
Jundt said the Lt. Cmdr. John C. Waldron Memorial Bridge at Pierre and Fort Pierre is the most recently replaced bridge crossing the Missouri River in South Dakota. It opened to two-way traffic in August 2024. The previous bridge was destroyed using strategically placed explosives in March 2025.
Learn more about the Platte-Winner Bridge project background, including the corridor study, on the SDDOT website, https://dot.sd.gov/archive/temporary-page/sd-highway-44-platte-winner-bridge/.
The federal Competitive Highway Bridge Program focuses on repairing and replacing bridges in rural areas with fewer than 115 individuals per square mile. The “bridge bundling” approach groups small projects into a single award, saving time and taxpayer money. CHBP grants were awarded to 14 projects in 12 states to fund bundled bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects.
April 6, 2026:
A project to replace the Platte-Winner bridge along South Dakota Highway 44 is getting $65 million in federal funding.
The state Department of Transportation bridge replacement project will restore a vital transportation link for Gregory and Charles Mix Counties as well as the entire south central part of the state. Without this bridge, the nearest places to cross the Missouri River require a detour of over 50 miles.
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