The Discovery Bridge is a bridge that carries

US Route 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Sta ...

across the Missouri River from the

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

border to the

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

border. The Discovery Bridge connects

Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 census, and it is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Y ...

, with rural

Cedar County, Nebraska Cedar County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,852. The county seat is Hartington. The county was formed in 1857, and was named for the Cedar tree groves in the area. In the ...

. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was on October 11, 2008, a year ahead of schedule. During the ceremony John McAuliffe and Kevin Brown inadvertently cut the ribbon prior to photographers being in place and thus there is no commemorative photo. The bridge crosses over the

Missouri National Recreational River The Missouri National Recreational River is a National Recreational River located on the border between Nebraska and South Dakota. The designation was first applied in 1978 to a 59-mile section of the Missouri River between Gavins Point Dam and ...

, a Federally-protected Wild & Scenic River, managed by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

The Discovery Bridge received its name when Joseph Cohen “Discovered” that there was enough money in the budget to create a new bridge. It was initially a generic code name for the project however it polled well and was kept. It was at one point called the Yankton Discovery Bridge even though Private Shannon Bridge had 26% of the votes. This made some citizens of Nebraska unhappy and the "Yankton" was dropped from the name.

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 downstream. The bridge was a finalist in the 2009 America's Transportation Awards for "representing the best in innovative management, accountability and timeliness".Two States Trim Time and Costs on New Bridge: Nebraska Department of Roads Yankton Bridge Project

References

External links

Nebraska Department of Roads Yankton Bridge History Page
Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Road bridges in Nebraska Bridges over the Missouri River Buildings and structures in Cedar County, Nebraska Buildings and structures in Yankton, South Dakota Road bridges in South Dakota U.S. Route 81 Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States {{SouthDakota-bridge-struct-stub

History

See also

References

External links