The new Lt. Commander John C. Waldron Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River between Pierre and Fort Pierre is open and removal of the previous bridge has begun. South Dakota Department of Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt says the girders of the old bridge will start coming down in a few weeks. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2025/01/010225-girder.mp3 Jundt says demolition of the old bridge will take several months. In the meantime, construction on the Fort Pierre Bridge Plaza area could begin sometime in February 2025 and work on the Pierre Bridge Plaza area is anticipated to begin in March.