The South Dakota Transportation Commission awarded 35 Preliminary Engineering Local Bridge Improvement Grants (BIG) totaling $1.42 million at their meeting yesterday in Pierre.
The remaining $13.58 million in BIG funds will be used for Preservation, Rehabilitation and Replacement grants to be approved by next April for county and city bridges.
Grant recipients are: Beadle County (3), Brookings County (7), Butte County (2), Davison County, City of Dell Rapids, Grant County (2), Haakon County (3), Hutchinson County, Jackson County, Kingsbury County (3), Sanborn County (2), Union County (7), Yankton County, and Ziebach County.
Forty-three applications totaling $1.743 million in requested grant funds were received by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT). One city submitted one application and 18 counties submitted a total of 42 applications.
Local governments are required to 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 in order 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 are due Jan. 2, 2020, for the Preservation, Rehabilitation and Replacement categories. Applications are available online at: http://sddot.com/business/local/big/Default.aspx
(SD Department of Transportation)