Baltic Heights Bike and Recreational Trail
Baltic, SD

The City of Baltic was looking to improve on an already vibrant park experience that includes ball diamonds, playground equipment, a disc golf course, and picnic shelters at their Baltic Heights Park. With Banner's assistance, the City applied for funding through the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Recreational Trails Program. The application process ultimately succeeded, and the City was awarded funding for the project as part of the program. Banner designed a recreational trail that connects park features for a wide variety of visitors. The path has become a popular recreational destination in the City of Baltic.

Brookings County Highway 77 Structure Replacement and Approach Grading
Brookings County, SD

At the southern end of Co. Hwy. 77 in Brookings County are two bridges: one crossing the main channel of the Big Sioux River, and another smaller overflow structure. Both structures (with portions built in 1925 and reconstructed in 1940) needed replacement. Brookings County applied for replacement grants through the SDDOT BIG program for both structures in December 2016. The smaller overflow structure (89’-6” Three-Span Continuous Concrete Bridge) was awarded a replacement grant in that round of funding. To keep the main crossing bridge (246’-0” Four-Span Prestressed Girder Bridge) on the same schedule as the overflow structure, a “Bid Ready” BIG application was submitted the following December, and the project was awarded a grant. The pair of bridges were let for bidding in the fall of 2018 with construction planned for the 2019 season. The construction completion date was later revised to the fall of 2020 after prolonged flooding and high water prevented work during the 2019 construction season. The smaller overflow structure is complete, and construction on the larger structure is underway.

Grant County Bridge Preservation
Northeast of Milbank, SD

In 2017, the Grant County Highway Department identified three bridges in need of preservation work. The bridges were originally built between the late 1950s and the late 1970s. A South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) Bridge Improvement Grant (BIG) was awarded to the County in 2018 for over $1 million. Plans were developed and the three bridges were bundled together as one bid package. Banner provided the engineering experience and expertise for the preservation work from project conception to project completion. Banner worked with the County and the contractor to successfully execute the preservation work. Construction wrapped up in fall 2019.

Game, Fish and Parks - Northeast SD Asphalt Surface Treatment Construction Contract Management
Various locations in Northeastern South Dakota,

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) maintains state parks, recreation areas, and lakeside use areas throughout the state. Banner was selected to provide construction management and testing services for asphalt concrete repair and asphalt surfacing at Roy Lake State Park, Fort Sisseton State Park, Pickerel Lake Recreation Area, the Webster District Office, Bitter Lake SE Lakeside Use Area, Richmond Lake Recreation Area, and Mina Lake Recreation Area in northeastern South Dakota as part of this project. Banner provided on-site observation which included addressing contractor questions and coordinating with GFP personnel at each park and GFP central headquarters. On-site observation also included identifying and marking digout repairs, asphalt patches, and asphalt overlays, and verifying and adjusting application rates of asphalt and cover aggregate for fog and chip seal applications. Banner completed aggregate and compaction testing as well. Construction contract administration tasks included reviewing and approving pay applications and change orders, creating punchlist, and verifying punchlist completion.

8th Street and 20th Avenue Drainage Improvements
Brookings, SD

The State Avenue Watershed is a 680-acre watershed in the heart of Brookings that affects residents, businesses, and college students during storm events. The watershed includes residential and commercial districts in addition to South Dakota State University. The City of Brookings, through their drainage master plan, identified five storm sewer improvement projects to mitigate localized flooding and handle 5-year and/or 100-year storm events within the watershed. Banner analyzed the existing watershed model and provided recommended improvements to the storm sewer system. Banner prepared cost estimates for the improvements to help the City budget for the improvements.  

The first phase consisted of storm sewer improvements on 8th Street, north of Village Square. Storm sewer was installed under the street and includes added inlets to capture flow off the street. The system also allows for additional connections from Village Square. The Structural Department designed a specialized junction box to tie the proposed storm sewer into an existing box culvert crossing 8th Street. The project also improved pedestrian access by completing the sidewalk network with ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps at the intersection of 8th Street and 20th Avenue. The sidewalk network is also connected to the trail that runs through McCrory Gardens. Banner provided design and construction phase services for the first phase of this significant drainage project.

FEMA Map Revision: Unnamed Tributary to Skunk Creek
Hartford, SD

FEMA approved the Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) prepared by Banner for the City of Hartford for a 3.3-mile length of an unnamed tributary to Skunk Creek through the City and a small surrounding area in Minnehaha County. Hartford is developing at a rapid pace: to protect the public near this flooding source, the City elected to hire Banner to perform a detailed study. The City’s floodplain mapping was previously a Zone A approximate Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with no official Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) identified. The LOMR revised the 100-year (1% annual chance) boundary, added BFEs (Zone AE), and a 500-year (0.2% annual chance) boundary. This project was unique because of the accelerated timeline. The first FEMA map was submitted four months after the design contract was awarded. During this time, survey crews collected topographic data for the area and engineering staff conducted hydrologic and hydraulic models that were used to create the maps for the FEMA submittal. After the additional data requests were received from FEMA during their review process, a preliminary LOMR determination approval was made within six months. When the required 90-day appeal period concluded, the map became effective. This was a fast-track project especially considering the length of stream revised.

Linden Ravine Drainage Improvements
Vermillion, SD

Linden Ravine in Vermillion, known locally as Skunk Hollow, conveys a significant amount of storm water from the upstream drainage basin. Over time, the drainage way became overgrown with trees and shrubs and started to experience significant erosion: the eroded inslopes inched closer and closer to nearby structures. The City asked Banner to complete a hydraulic analysis and design the ravine to convey water by both underground storm pipe and overland through a drainage swale. The underground pipe was designed for a 5-year storm event, and the swale was designed to handle the 100-year event. To reduce further impact on the area, Banner specified HDPE storm pipe and PVC inlets rather than concrete, as the lighter materials could be carried to site by hand instead of multiple vehicle passes for concrete. The drainage way displays a significant elevation difference from upstream to downstream so multiple forms of erosion control were used to help establish the vegetation both in the drainage swale bottom and the inslopes. At times the construction limits were so narrow that the contractor used a buggy to haul bedding material from the street to the pipe installation location.

Columbia Circle Drainage Channel Improvements
Sioux Falls, SD

Richmond Estates 2nd Addition in northwest Sioux Falls was constructed in the mid-1980s. Over the years, continual degradation of an existing stream channel which flows in the backyards of residential lots created concerns with shallow sanitary sewer crossings. Scour issues at the downstream end of storm drain outlets feeding the drainage channel between Bahnson Avenue and Sycamore Avenue north of 3rd Street also required action by the City to resolve the drainage channel issues. Banner was contracted for the design of grading, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer improvements. Numerous permanent utility and temporary construction easements were necessary to complete the work. The design incorporates a low flow pipe to carry trickle water through the area, two rock drop structures to dissipate energy within the drainage channel, and reestablished safe and protected sanitary sewer crossings in the area.