Exploring South Dakota: The Meridian Highway Bridge in Yankton

I have lived in several places over the years: Washington, DC metropolitan area, Boston, Indianapolis, and now Sioux Falls, South Dakota. With the exception of Washington, I have never really "visited" the areas I lived in.

Even in Boston, I never took the time to explore such famous sites as the Old North Church, Bunker Hill or the USS Constitution (though I did take in a game at Fenway Park and I walked by "Cheers" all the time).

When my family moved to South Dakota, we vowed to actually visit some of the towns and cities that make up the state. The first one we hit was Yankton (for no particular reason) and one of the places we visited was the Meridian Highway Bridge.

According to Wikipedia:

The Meridian Highway Bridge is a bridge that formerly carried U.S. Route 81 across the Missouri River between Nebraska and South Dakota. The Meridian Highway Bridge connects Yankton, South Dakota, with rural Cedar County, Nebraska. The Meridian Bridge is a double deck bridge, with the top level having carried traffic into South Dakota from Nebraska, and the lower level having carried traffic into Nebraska from South Dakota.

It provided a nice view of the Missouri River and the it was a nice leisurely walk across the span's 0.3 mile distance (over half a mile if you consider the walk back). It would have been more fun if a storm hadn't decided to roll in towards the end of our walk. Deciding that standing on a metal bridge in a thunder storm might not be the best idea, my wife and I bid a hasty retreat back across to the South Dakota side.

If you get a chance to visit the city of Yankton, check out the bridge. It's a pleasant stroll across an old-fashioned bridge. And bring a lock!