The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) Major Bridge Investment Study in 2016 identified the US-212 bridge over the Missouri River as a high priority for replacement. The prioritization of this bridge was based on the age of the structure, substantial repairs needed to maintain the bridge, and active landslides at the site of the existing bridge. The current federally funded US-212 Forest City Bridge Corridor and Environmental Study was initiated in the spring of 2020 to evaluate potential bridge locations and highway corridors within a broad study area.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) in conjunction with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are performing the corridor study.

The study includes finding feasible solutions and alternatives to replacing the bridge. Currently, the south approach of the existing Forest City Bridge is affected by massive landslides which have resulted in millions of dollars in repair and mitigation expenses to the Department of Transportation.

Landowners in the area have also suffered from poor soil conditions and landslide issues. The structure selection team is focusing a large area for finding the most adapt location, with the long-term objective of providing a resilient and cost-effective structure that will achieve a 100-year service life.

66 years old. It was opened to traffic in 1958 and rehabilitated in 1980. It entered the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 2001.

The project team will work with the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) to determine appropriate documentation and mitigation for the existing bridge.

What is the study scope?

We are in the corridor study stage. The study intends to determine the preferred corridor (location) for the bridge and preliminary information for the future design and construction of the replacement (tentatively planned for 2030).  The study has been divided in several tasks:

Task 1 will analyze the existing and future conditions and determine the potential locations for a relocated US212 bridge over the Missouri River within the study area.

Task 2 will determine and evaluate the feasible corridors for the US212 highway corridor to connect the new potential bridge locations to the existing US212 corridor, conduct an environmental screening and complete the planning study.

Task 3 will conduct the NEPA study (See below for a full description) to determine the “preferred option” for the project(s) to move on to the design stage.

Task 4 will complete the design level preliminary survey necessary for the eventual design of the bridge and roadway alignment.

The first opportunity for public input will be in June 2021. Please continue to visit the project website for ongoing updates. Every task presented before has a public engagement opportunity.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 requires that federally funded projects evaluate their overall impact on the environment.  This process will be performed once viable alternatives have been developed for evaluations of potential impacts to the human and natural environment.

Once the planning study portion of a project is complete, the NEPA evaluations may begin. An Environmental Assessment (EA) is a document that describes various environmental resources, evaluates potential impacts, answers public comments, and provides decision makers with enough information to determine if the project results in no significant impacts.  Once the EA is finalized, it will be available for public review, and a Public Hearing will be held to provide the public with a chance to comment on the EA.  Once these comments are addressed FHWA would approve the EA and issue a decision document.

South Dakota Department of Transportation is funding the study and preliminary engineering phases. Construction funds have not been identified at this point; however, it is anticipated that a completed study and Environmental Assessment will help position this project for funding opportunities.

The alternative analysis process will estimate construction costs associated with various alignments.

The replacement is tentatively planned for fiscal year 2030, after this preliminary planning study has been conducted and the following design phase completed.

Input will be reviewed and taken under consideration as the study progresses through the project development process. We are in the corridor study (planning) stage and the purpose of this website is to provide basic project information to inform the public and receive feedback on the preferred alternative.

Landowner permission would be required for performing analysis and survey work; however, no access changes are planned at this time. Many aspects regarding the highway network are being studied at this time and the long-term alternative for the bridge location is yet to be determined.

Construction phasing is determined in the design stages of project development. Currently the project is in the planning phase. Potential closures are yet to be determined.

There is the potential for property rights acquisition, permanent and or temporary easements. The proposed project potentially could require the acquisition of additional property rights, which could include new right-of-way (ROW), control of access (CA), permanent easements (PE), and/or temporary easements (TE). The need for additional property rights acquisition is yet to be determined through this planning process, the alternatives analysis and future preliminary design considerations.

Landowners will be contacted for one-on-one discussions during the planning process if the preferred alternative overlaps your property boundary.

No disruption to commerce, trucking, delivery and/or emergency response services is anticipated during the current planning stage of this project. It is anticipated that replacement alternatives will be constructed offline from the existing bridge, allowing all services to be maintained during construction.

The Environmental Assessment, described above and included within the project scope, evaluates potential impacts to the natural and human environment within the project’s study area under the purview of NEPA.  The resources to be evaluated include, but are not limited to, environmental justice/civil rights, cultural resources, historic properties, publicly owned recreation properties, endangered and threatened species, hazardous materials, water quality, and other water resources, including wetlands and waters the United States (such as the Missouri River/Lake Oahe). The EA also includes public involvement, stakeholder, agency, and tribal coordination.