Bridge Improvement Grants

2024 Grant Awards

• 2024 Fact Sheet
• 2024 Preliminary  Engineering awarded August 24, 2023 
  
• 2024 Preservation Grants awarded Feb. 29, 2024
  
• 2024 Rehabilitation/Replacement Grants awarded Feb. 29, 2024

MAP OF BIG PROJECTS IN SOUTH DAKOTA COUNTIES AND CITIES, 2016-2020 →

The Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) program was created by the 2015 legislative session in Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). SB 1 states that in order to be eligible for a BIG grant, a county must impose a wheel tax. In addition, a county must have a County Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan. The plan should detail proposed county highway and bridge improvement projects in the county for the next five years.

The Transportation Commission was tasked with creating Administrative Rules regarding the application process and timelines, the guidelines and criteria for approval of applications, and the distribution of funds from the local BIG fund. The Transportation Commission was also tasked with developing Administrative Rules for the Plans. The rules are to provide the format of the plan and the time by which an update of the plan must be submitted.

Draft rules and guidance documents for the BIG and Plans were developed, reviewed and revised by the Transportation Advisory Council (TAC) which is composed of representatives from townships, towns, cities, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), planning districts, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), tribes, county commissioners, county highway superintendents and the Local Transportation Assistance Program (LTAP).

SB 1 dedicated $7 million per year for the BIG funds. This money comes from the license plate fees and from non-commercial vehicle fees. In addition, SDDOT will set aside $8 million per year of state gas tax funds, for a total of $15 million available for the BIG grants.

For information regarding the BIG grants or the Plan requirements, please contact:

Documents:

• Five-Year County Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan Guide
• 7 Basic Requirements for a Five-Year County Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan
• Five-Year County Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan Forms/Templates:
  • Five-Year Programmed Project Listing
  • Project Status List
  • Checklist of Requirements
  • Certification Form
  • Project Needs List
  • Revenue Sources
  • Checklist of Requirements for Annual Update
  • Resolution-Plan Amendment 
• Bridge Improvement Grants
  • Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) Procedure
  • Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) Application
  • County Wheel Tax as it Applies to Bridge Improvement Grants

ADMINISTRATIVE RULE FOR LOCAL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT GRANT (BIG) FUND, ARTICLE 70:13:01 →
ADMINISTRATIVE RULE FOR COUNTY HIGHWAY AND BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT PLAN, ARTICLE 70:12 →
SB 1 →
EVERY DAY COUNTS, GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCED SOIL-INTEGRATED BRIDGE SYSTEM →

• 2023 Preliminary  Engineering awarded August 25, 2022
• 2023 Preservation Grants awarded March 30, 2023
• 2023 Rehabilitation/Replacement Grants awarded March 30, 2023
• Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) Procedure

• 2022 Preliminary Engineering, awarded Aug. 26, 2021
• 2022 Preservation, awarded February 24, 2022
• 2022 Rehabilitation/Replacements, awarded February 24, 2022
  
• Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) Procedure

• 2021 Preliminary Engineering, awarded Aug. 27, 2020
• 2021 Preservation, awarded Feb. 25, 2021
• 2021 Rehabilitation/Replacements, awarded Feb. 25, 2021
• Procedure

• 2021 Federal Bridge Replacement Projects, awarded April 29, 2021

• 2020 Preservation Awards, awarded Feb. 27, 2020
• 2020 Rehabilitation/Replacement Awards, awarded Feb. 27, 2020
• Preliminary Engineering, awarded Aug. 29, 2019
• Procedure

• 2020 Federal Bridge Replacement Projects, awarded June 25, 2020

• Preliminary Engineering, awarded Aug. 23, 2018
• Preservation, awarded March 28, 2019
• Rehabilitation/Replacement, awarded March 28, 2019
• Procedure

• Preliminary Engineering, awarded Aug. 24, 2017
• Preservation and Replacement, awarded March 20, 2018
• Rehabilitation/Replacement Awards, awarded March 29, 2018
• Procedure

• Preliminary Engineering, awarded April 24, 2017
• Bridge Improvement Preservation Grants, awarded April 24, 2017
• Bridge Improvement Repl./Rehab. Grants, awarded April 24, 2017
• Procedure

• Preliminary Engineering, awarded Feb. 25, 2016
• Bridge Improvement Preservation Grants, awarded April 28, 2016
• Bridge Improvement Repl./Rehab. Grants, awarded April 28, 2016
• Procedure