Local County Receives Bridge Grants
Grant County Receives $63,600 in
State Bridge Improvement Grants
Grant County will receive $63,600 in two Bridge Improvement Grants (BIG) issued by the South Dakota Department of Transportation transportation commission.
The two BIG grants, one for $47,200 and the other for $16,400, will go toward preliminary engineering costs. The money will come into the county in 2021 and be spent the same year. The engineering studies will be conducted on bridge 26-056-020, about 10 miles west and 2.5 miles north of Marvin on 144th Street, and on bridge 26-030-067, which is two miles south and 12.5 miles west of Marvin on 452nd Avenue.
Since the county officials received the notification that the county has been awarded the BIG grants for preliminary engineering, the officials will now apply for funding for the next phase of work on the two bridges, according to Karen Layher, Grant County auditor. Any work that will be done on the two structures will be slated for 2022 or later.
The transportation commission awarded 40 preliminary engineering BIG totaling $1.47 million at its meeting on Thursday, August 27.
According to a press release, the remaining $13.53 million in 2021 BIG funds will be used for preservation, rehabilitation and replacement grants to be approved by April of 2021.
In addition to Grant County, recipients are Aurora County, Brookings County (three), Butte County (two), Codington County, Davison County (four), Day County, Deuel County (two), Dewey County, Douglas County, Gregory County, City of Hot Springs, Hutchinson County (two), Lake County, Lawrence County, Mellette County, Miner County, Minnehaha County (three), Perkins County, Roberts County (three), Turner County, Union County (four), Yankton County, and City of Yankton. There were 40 applicants.
Local governments must pay a minimum of 20 percent matching funds and have three years to expend the grant. Counties must have a wheel tax and a five-year highway and bridge improvement plan to receive a grant.
The BIG program was created in 2015 by Senate Bill 1. SB 1 set aside $7 million per year from funds generated by license plate fees to be used to repair and replace aging local bridges. The SDDOT adds an additional $8 million annually, making $15 million available.
The next round of BIG program applications is due Jan. 2, 2021, for the preservation, rehabilitation and replacement categories.
~Holli Seehafer
