29-05-2025
Change reroutes US14 in Pierre to avoid an oft-hit bridge
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — US14 is being officially rerouted through Pierre to shift traffic away from a railroad bridge that's often been struck by taller vehicles such as trucks and RVs passing beneath it.
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The South Dakota Transportation Commission approved the rule change during a teleconference on Thursday.
The intention is that US 14 traffic would no longer travel through the heart of Pierre and no longer need to go under the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern bridge that crosses over Pierre Street.
Instead, US 14 traffic would take what currently is known as the US 14B bypass on Garfield Avenue at the eastern edge of Pierre.
The new route will be labeled as US 14. The hope is that automated mapping services will reflect the change.
Standard traffic signs warn motorists of the bridge's clearance of 11 feet, 3 inches and a nearby Pierre law firm also has an electronic sign advising that the bridge is low. Nonetheless semi trucks still get stuck under the bridge month after month and RVs sometimes lose cooling units or other items from their roofs.
The change also affects traffic using US 83 through Pierre. US 83 and US 14 follow the same route through South Dakota's capital city.
There were no comments from the public at the hearing Thursday.
The re-designation corresponds to the Legislature's passage of Senate Bill 39 earlier this year at the request of the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
The goal is to have the re-designation take effect on July 1 at the same time as the legislation does.
This comes as portions of Pierre Street and Euclid Avenue are in the first year of a two-year reconstruction project.
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