Temporary bridge exits Cliff Avenue
by: Perry Groten

Crews removed the 160-foot-long bridge that spanned South Cliff as part of the Interstate 229 interchange construction project. 

https://dot.sd.gov/projects-studies/construction-projects/interstate-229-exit-4-cliff-ave-reconstruction

The temporary bridge will be used on an upcoming project in the Sioux Falls Area. These temporary bridges are very versatile and can be easily disassembled, stored, and reused in different locations, as needed. 

The temporary bridge was installed at the I-229 and Cliff location in the fall of 2024 to allow traffic to keep flowing even as construction crews worked on the interchange project.

“It’s kind of like a long arm that we’re just pulling back, in a telescope almost,” SDDOT Sioux Falls Area Engineer, Harry Johnston said. A large crane lifted the 50-ton bridge onto rollers. An excavator on the other side pulled the bridge eastward.

“This is probably the third time, or the fourth time in the entire state that we’ve used a temporary bridge,” SDDOT Engineering Supervisor, Kirk Henderson said.

I-229 drivers will encounter the temporary bridge once again, as the temporary structure will be moving about a mile to the west as it becomes part of the interchange reconstruction project on South Minnesota Avenue.