More than a bridge

A milestone moment for Flandreau

A long-awaited celebration marks the official beginning of the rebuild of the Crescent Street Bridge in Flandreau. Holding the ribbon are Amber Allen, Kristi Bietz and Cyndi Weddell while those cutting are Sam Allen and Philip Allen. In the back are tribal, city, federal and project personnel from left, FSST Trustee Nick Flute, Flandreau City Administrator Cohl Turnquist, Mayor Dan Sutton, FSST Chairman Tony Reider, IMEG Project Manager Shane Waterman, IMEG Chief Bridge Engineer Yanling Leng, FSST Trustees David Ross and Jonathan Schrader, FSST Treasurer Ryan Kills-A-Hundred, Sen. Mike Rounds’ Tribal Representative Keith Moore and BIA Regional Director Olivia Steve.

By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise

After years of discussion, planning and partnership, a much-anticipated step forward for the Crescent Street Bridge project was formally celebrated this past Wednesday, March 18.
A prayer by Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Elder James Brian Weston, opened the ceremony, offering gratitude for the partnerships and people helping move the project forward, while also sharing hopes for what the bridge — and all it represents — will mean for the community. A formal ribbon cutting followed.
City and Tribal leaders, along with state and federal partners, gathered to mark progress toward rebuilding the bridge — a project many in the community have hoped to see come to life for more than a decade.
But the moment itself reflected something larger than any single structure.
“This is another example of what can happen when the City and the Tribe work together,” Mayor Dan Sutton said.
“I thank all of the Tribal officials who worked with federal and state agencies to keep the Crescent Street Bridge project moving forward.”

BIA Regional Director Olivia Steve gives remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony launching the Crescent Street Bridge project.

The project has required years of coordination behind the scenes, including the City securing funding through the state to demolish the original bridge in 2022, ongoing collaboration between the City and Tribe on land transfer, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s continued work through the Bureau of Indian Affairs to secure funding and finalize design plans for its replacement.
City Administrator Cohl Turnquist said the announcement represents more than progress on infrastructure.
“The announcement illustrates how powerful partnerships can be in achieving a common goal,” Turnquist said.
Once completed, the new bridge is expected to reconnect key areas of the community namely the Flandreau Indian School, and improve access across the Big Sioux River to the Flandreau Dam.
More broadly, leaders say the effort stands as a reminder of what’s possible when partners stay at the table — working together to build something that will serve the community for generations to come.

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