COVID-19 Not Slowing down the 8th Street Bridge Renovation

Is it just me, or do you need to conjure up every ounce of patience you have when you drive around Sioux Falls these days with the volume of construction happening?

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I couldn't help but notice the line of traffic heading west on 41st Street seemed to extend all the way into Iowa due to the road work being done at 41st and Western Avenue at the moment.

Another construction hot spot in the city right now is downtown in the 8th Street Bridge area.

The iconic 8th Street Bridge in Sioux Falls has been out of commission since mid-March, but according to Dakota News Now, the bridge rehabilitation project is still on track to re-open late this fall.

Construction crews are now working on taking out the old concrete from the arches of the bridge.

Project manager Dena Knutson told Dakota News Now the current phase of this project is a slow and time-consuming one. It’s expected to continue for about a month and a half.

COVID-19, has complicated a great number of things so far this year. However, the 8th Street Bridge project, for the most part, has been impervious to the constant cancellations, postponements, and rescheduling, that has affected so many other projects around the area.

According to Knutson, “The pandemic has not affected us at all. The crews are taking their precautions for their own company policies so every company’s a little bit different. But, as for the timeline for opening this fall, we are still on track.”

I, for one, can't wait to see the renovated bridge once it's finished.

As Dakota News Now reports, the complete project won't be done until improvements to the bike trail system running underneath the bridge have been revised. That is scheduled to be finished sometime in 2021.

Source: Dakota News Now

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