Historic Bridges in South Dakota

1,118 bridges built before 1951 in South Dakota still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 1,118 bridges in South Dakota built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
CREEK South Dakota Fair 1941 85 1,650
CREEK South Dakota Fair 1941 85 1,600
CREEK South Dakota Good 1941 85 1,600
UNNAMED CREEK South Dakota Poor 1941 85 100
POTATO CREEK South Dakota Poor 1942 84 1,314
SOUTH FORK WHETSTONE RV South Dakota Poor 1942 84 25
BRAVE BULL CK South Dakota Fair 1942 84 151
BRAVE BULL CK South Dakota Fair 1942 84 82
MEDICINE CK South Dakota Fair 1942 84 251
MEDICINE CK South Dakota Fair 1942 84 251
CROW CK South Dakota Fair 1942 84 1,344
LAKE MITCHELL SPILLWAY South Dakota Fair 1943 83 2,396
TRIB S FORK BEAVER CREEK South Dakota Fair 1944 82 60
EAST BRULE CK South Dakota Good 1944 82 50
CK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 50
TRIB. TO DRY CHOTEAU CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 60
FOUR MILE CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 25
BATTLE CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 25
DRY CK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 47
DRY CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 32
STATION ELM CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 48
PEASE CREEK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 48
CREEK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 48
CREEK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 48
ASH CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 25
CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 20
NORTH BR TWELVE MILE CK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 15
DRY RUN CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 64
NORTH BR TWELVE MILE CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 64
COBB CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 10
BURLINGTON NORTHERN RR South Dakota Poor 1945 81 20
EAGLE NEST CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 15
HARAM CREEK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 15
CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 10
WHITE OWL CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 33
CREEK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 31
CREEK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 31
CREEK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 45
CREEK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 50
CREEK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 50
COTTONWOOD CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 50
TURKEY RIDGE CK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 50
TURKEY RIDGE CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 60
CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 100
ELCE CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 30
CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 97
LONG CK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 65
CK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 35
FLINT ROCK CK South Dakota Fair 1945 81 16
RAPID CREEK South Dakota Poor 1945 81 10

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.