Sioux Falls among recipients of Bridge Improvement Grant from Transportation Commission - Dakota News Now
PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The South Dakota Transportation Commission awarded 17 bridge grants totaling about $16.6 million at a recent meeting in Pierre.
“The BIG program continues to be vital for the necessary preservation, rehabilitation, and replacement of local government structures, and the SDDOT commends the Transportation Commission for their continued commitment to provide state funding for this critical local government program,” said Joel Jundt, Secretary of Transportation.
Recipients of the grants include:
- Sioux Falls
- Aurora County
- Brown County
- Butte County
- Codington County
- Corson County
- Custer County
- Davison County
- Lawrence County
- Meade County
- Minnehaha County
- Pennington County
- Sanborn County
- Union County
Davison County and Pennington County received two grants each.
To qualify for a BIG grant, a county must implement a wheel tax and create a five-year County Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan outlining proposed projects.
Each year, $7 million from license plate and non-commercial vehicle fees, along with $8 million from state highway funds, totals $15 million for the Building Improvement Grant (BIG) program.
As of now, the BIG program has awarded $182 million in grants to local governments, including this year’s allocations.
Local governments are required to pay a minimum of 20 percent matching funds and have three years to expend the grant award.
Applications for the next round of the BIG program are due Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, for the Preliminary Engineering (PE) category.
For more information, contact Doug Kinniburgh at 605-773-4284 or visit https://dot.sd.gov/doing-business/local-governments/bridge-improvement-grants.