SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - TRIP, a Washington D-C based nonprofit that researches transportation, says current South Dakota roads and bridges face mounting challenges.
TRIP’s Rocky Moretti says South Dakota has the nation’s fourth highest share of structurally deficient bridges.
Moretti says the South Dakota Department of transportation is putting $6 million into local (township and county) bridges but that would take forty years to complete. During that time other bridges are slipping into deficiency.
Moretti says $27 billion in goods are delivered from South Dakota sites and another $28 billion in goods are shipped to South Dakota annually, mostly by truck.
Legislators are wrangling over transportation bills and have two weeks to iron out a compromise.
The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce hosted TRIP at a news conference this morning.