Potentially Hazardous Bridge Connecting Iowa To Wisconsin Now Closed Again

Maintaining and repairing infrastructure is a priority throughout the United States, with many communities working on projects focused specifically on deteriorating roads and bridges.

Statistics show that a significant number of bridges across the United States are aging and in need of repair or replacement. About 42,000 bridges are rated in poor condition and considered structurally deficient, according to the ARTBA.

It's encouraging to note that the total number of structurally deficient bridges has declined in recent years, the rate of improvement has unfortunately slowed, and the backlog of bridge repairs has been estimated at $125 billion.

Among the structurally deficient bridges in the country is a historic structure that connects Iowa to Wisconsin, which has now been forced to close for the second time in a little over a year.

The Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing

The more than 1,700-foot Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing, also referred to as the Black Hawk Bridge, is an iconic structure that has been serving the area since 1931, except between 1945 and 1957 when damage from ice dams forced it to close.

The bridge connects Iowa Highway 9 in Lansing, Iowa, to Wisconsin Highway 82 in rural Crawford County, Wisconsin, and in recent years, officials in Iowa and Wisconsin announced the bridge would be replaced for several reasons, including its structural condition, safety, geometry, which makes it difficult for truck traffic, and more.

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Understanding the iconic look of the bridge and its importance to the area, the new bridge will address all current safety and structural concerns, while also being thoughtfully designed to have a similar look to the existing bridge.

Construction of the new bridge began in 2023 and is expected to continue through 2026, with the new bridge becoming fully functional in 2027.

More Troubling Data On Existing Bridge Forces Another Closure

The opening of the new bridge can't come soon enough, as this week, the Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing announced on its Facebook page that the bridge was forced to close after its monitoring system detected movement in one of the piers that exceeded safety thresholds.

The bridge will remain closed while officials validate the sensor data and conduct a thorough engineering analysis to determine if it is safe to reopen.

They hope to have more information by the end of the week, and updates will be provided to the public as soon as possible.

This is the second time in a little over a year that troubling data has forced the bridge to close. In February 2024, the Iowa Department of Transportation was alerted to unexpected movement on the existing Mississippi River Bridge, and the bridge was closed as a result of this discovery.

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After thoroughly inspecting the bridge, engineers determined that there had been movement in two existing bridge piers near the work zone. Work was done to stabilize the two impacted piers, including having portions of the bridge deck removed, leaving large gaps in the bridge surface.

The bridge was eventually reopened, but unfortunately, it's now been forced to close again until further notice.