Pine Street Bridge

In February 1912, the Yankton City Council approved city engineer Hugh C. Liebe’s plan for a new concrete arch bridge at Pine Street over Rhine Creek (later renamed Marne Creek during World War I). In April, the council awarded a $3,700 construction contract to local contractors Arthur Ellerman and Dan McLain.

In September 1912, using emerging concrete construction methods, Ellerman and McLain completed the 41-foot, single-span, reinforced concrete deck arch bridge with Classical Revival detailing. The bridge’s railings consisted of spindle-shaped balusters set off by concrete posts ornamented with recessed panels.

This was the last of four Rhine Creek bridges—others built in 1908-1911 at Douglas, Burleigh, and Walnut Streets—that were the earliest known concrete bridges built in the state. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1999, as an early example of concrete deck arch bridge construction built by a South Dakota engineer and contractors in an experimental era before the state standardized design and methods.

However, following the return of adverse structural assessments, the 1912 bridge was demolished in 2018. Completed for service on November 14, 2018, the replacement was designed to reference the aesthetic of the historic 1912 bridge.