Last month, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and the Iowa Department of Transportation mobilized crews for the $140 million Lansing Bridge Project.
The 1,700-foot cantilever bridge connects Iowa Highway 9 in Lansing, Iowa with Wisconsin Highway 82 in Crawford County over the Mississippi River.
According to officials, the project will cost $140 million. Federal funding will cover 80% of the cost with Iowa and Wis. covering the remainder.
The project calls for construction of a wider bridge to replace the one that first opened in 1931. Contractor crews will expand the road from 21 to 40 feet, making a safer path for drivers who need to pull over.
Crews will expand the channel from 650 feet to 750 feet to create more spaces for barges in the river below. The new bridge will be 180 feet above the normal water level, replacing the 160-foot-tall structure.
New bridge foundations will be 150 feet below the ground, compared to 55 feet from before. The new bridge will be a steel through-truss type like the last one, officials explained.
Construction of the new bridge will take place alongside the old bridge, which will remain in use.
According to officials, the new bridge will fully open in 2027 and the old bridge will be removed. It’s not clear yet how the bridge will be deconstructed, but Iowa transportation officials said the most economical way is with explosives.
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Source: The Daily Reporter
