Rating:
4 votes

Meridian Bridge

Yankton County, South Dakota, and Cedar County, Nebraska

Photos 

Photo taken by Robert Elder

Enlarge

BH Photo #110236

Map 

Street Views 

Facts 

Overview
Vertical-lift through truss bridge over the Missouri River on US 81 at Yankton
Location
Yankton, Yankton County, South Dakota, and Cedar County, Nebraska
Status
Open to pedestrians only
Future prospects
Rehabilitated for pedestrian/bicycle use
History
Built 1924; rehabilitated 1953; bypassed by Discovery Bridge in 2008
Builder
- Kelly-Atkinson Construction Co. of Chicago, Illinois
Railroads
- Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (MILW)
- Great Northern Railway (GN)
Design
Double-decker, vertical lift Pratt through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 250.0 ft.
Total length: 2,886.6 ft. (0.5 mi.)
Deck width: 33.1 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.5 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on June 17, 1993
Also called
Meridian Highway Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.86451, -97.39404   (decimal degrees)
42°51'52" N, 97°23'39" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
14/631187/4747020 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Gavins Point Dam
Inventory numbers
SD 68-122-210 (South Dakota structure number)
NRHP 93000537 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 32421 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Built 1924 (744)
Built during 1920s (9,925)
Bypassed (182)
Cedar County, Nebraska (32)
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (1,025)
Double decker (66)
Great Northern Railway (360)
Have street view (26,949)
Kelly-Atkinson Construction Co. (15)
Missouri River (119)
Movable (2,974)
NR-listed (2,960)
Navigable waterway (2,152)
Nebraska (1,634)
Open to pedestrians (4,220)
Owned by state (15,994)
 Pan American Highway (7)
Pratt through truss (5,393)
Pratt truss (9,300)
Rail-and-Road (377)
Railroad (15,426)
South Dakota (665)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,196)
State line crossing (847)
Through truss (15,072)
Total length over 2500 feet (916)
Tower Drive Vertical Lift (64)
Truss (32,796)
US 81 (18)
Vertical lift (420)
Yankton County, South Dakota (9)
Yankton, South Dakota (6)

Update Log 

  • May 2, 2018: New photo from David Shedlock
  • November 26, 2017: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
  • July 12, 2017: New photo from Matt Dunmore
  • April 26, 2016: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
  • December 7, 2015: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
  • June 9, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Added builder
  • August 22, 2013: New photo from Douglas Butler

Sources 

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Comments 

Meridian Bridge
Posted March 8, 2015, by J (Joey [at] zanyzinnia [dot] com)

It is really beautiful in the spring as a pedestrian bridge.

March 2015

Meridian Bridge
Posted May 14, 2008, by Randy Brush

I heard newspaper since May 11, 2008. A ten ton load limit has been placed on the Meridian Bridge at Yankton, South Dakota. All truck over ten ton use other bridges at Vermillion or Springfield over Missouri River. It are fair condition. Thank you.

Missouri River Bridge
Posted September 12, 2007, by Robert L. Elder (Bass-tbn [at] ku [dot] edu)

Construction of a new bridge began in July of 2007. The new bridge, known as the "Discovery Bridge" in honor of Lewis and Clark will be built two blocks west of the current bridge. This new bridge will provide a better alignment for US 81 and large trucks will not longer need to navigate two sharp turns in Yankton. Supposedly, the old bridge may be converted into use as a pedestrian bridge.