Meridian Bridge Finds New Direction through Stimulus Funds
Abandoned and in imminent danger of demolition several years ago, the Meridian Bridge recently received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for conversion to pedestrian/bike use.
Credit: Department of Transportation
The Meridian Bridge, which crosses the Missouri River between rural Cedar County, Nebraska and Yankton, South Dakota, was awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for rehabilitation through the bill's transportation enhancement Funds.
Constructed in 1924, the Meridian Bridge was the first permanent river crossing in the Yankton vicinity. It was also one of the final links in the Meridian Highway, an early north-south route from Winnipeg, Canada to Mexico City, Mexico.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation worked with the Nebraska and South Dakota State Historic Preservation Offices and local advocates to prevent the demolition of the bridge several years ago when a decision was made to replace it with an adjacent vehicular bridge. Ultimately, an agreement was reached to rehabilitate the bridge for pedestrian and bike traffic and to construct the new Discovery Bridge nearby.
However, funding for the rehabilitation project seemed in doubt until the Nebraska Department of Roads Transportation Enhancement Committee agreed to provide 70% of the needed funding through its ARRA allocation. South Dakota will provide the remaining 30%.
Construction is expected to commence later this year.
