SDDOT - Division of Planning and Engineering

Bridge Design - The Office of Bridge Design is responsible for the approximately 1800 bridges on the State Trunk System. This responsibility includes the hydraulic and structural design of new bridges, large culverts, and other structures. It also includes analysis, rating, overload analysis, oversight for condition inspection, and design of rehabilitation plans for existing structures.

Transportation Inventory Management - The Office of Transportation Inventory Management is responsible for the collection, retention, analysis and reporting of the physical characteristics of the state's transportation network, vehicle travel activity within the state, geographical information system development and mapping services to assist in the Department's planning, design, and maintenance activities. The Program operates under five distinct activities; Traffic Monitoring, Pavement Condition Monitoring, Public Road Inventory, Mapping and GIS development.

Materials & Surfacing - The Materials and Surfacing Program is responsible for the Preparation of Surfacing Plans, Asphalt and Concrete Pavement Design, Asphalt and Concrete Mix Designs, Geotechnical Investigations which include Bridge Foundations, Landslides, Soils, Rock Backslopes, and Certification Acceptance of Completed Projects.

Project Development - The Project Development Office assures that all federal and state administrative procedures are followed throughout the preconstruction process, including all necessary documentation and certification. This multi-discipline office is in charge of all multi-year project scheduling; federal funding and work authorizations; estimating, bid letting and contract awards; utility notification and relocation agreements; and Environmental clearances including 4(f) assessments; wetland findings; archaeological (SHPO) approval; air, water & noise impacts and the public hearing/meeting process.

Research - The South Dakota Department of Transportation conducts research to improve transportation technology. Specific goals include evaluation of new materials and methods, development of design and analysis techniques, and study of underlying causes of transportation problems. The research effort addresses topics considered most important to the Department's mission of providing a transportation system for the State of South Dakota.

Right-of-Way - The Right of Way Program is responsible for acquiring the property necessary for highway purposes for the State trunk system. This includes providing relocation assistance in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act for those displaced as a result of said acquisition.

Road Design - The mission of the Road Design Office is to perform road design functions in preparation of construction plans for roadway grading, roadway lighting, traffic signalization, roadside landscaping and rest areas; property plat preparation; and supervision of field surveys, maintenance of the geodetic reference system and establishment of Global Positioning System (GPS) procedures.