Carries 4 lanes on US 81 Official name Discovery Bridge Address Yankton, SD 57078, USA Width 23 m Longest span 485 m | Maintained by ? Opened 11 October 2008 Longest span 485 m Location Yankton | |
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Design State of Nebraska/S. Dakota Similar Meridian Highway Bridge, Gavins Point Dam, Vermillion–Newcastle Bridge, Chouteau Bridge, Ike Skelton Bridge | ||
The Discovery Bridge is a bridge that carries US Route 81 across the Missouri River from the Nebraska border to the South Dakota border. The Discovery Bridge connects Yankton, South Dakota, with rural Cedar County, Nebraska. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was on October 11, 2008, a year ahead of schedule.
History
Construction began on the Discovery Bridge in June 2007. The bridge then opened on October 11, 2008, which was exactly 84 years after the dedication of the Meridian Highway Bridge. Now completed, the Discovery Bridge serves as a replacement for the Meridian Highway Bridge, which is about 1,000 feet (300 m) downstream.
The bridge was a finalist in the 2009 America's Transportation Awards for "representing the best in innovative management, accountability and timeliness".