The Meridian Bridge's construction changed the economy of the region. The material below provides a brief summary of its history.

The Meridian Bridge was built by the Meridian Highway Bridge Company and was completed in 1924. At the time, the bridge was the first constructed over the Missouri River. It is unique in the fact that it was constructed by a private group of investors and was originally constructed to carry vehicle traffic on the upper deck and rail traffic on the lower level. The bridge was constructed to include a vertical lift structure to allow for Missouri River boat traffic.

 The tracks on the lower level were never used and were converted in 1953 to allow the two level one-way vehicle traffic configuration. In 1984, the lift span was deactivated and the mechanism for lifting the 220' span was removed.

Additional Historic information about the bridge can be found online at the Federal Highway Authority Website - Historic Bridges.

Department of Parks & Recreation 
416 Walnut Street
PO Box 176
Yankton, SD 57078-0176
(605) 668-5231