Lansing Bridge on pace to reopen by the end of April

LANSING, Iowa (WLCX) – The Lansing Bridge is on track to be open by the end of the month.

The 93-year-old bridge has been closed since late February due to structural issues caused by construction of its replacement.

In an update, the Iowa Department of Transportation said all that’s left is to bolt together the bridge’s pieces. Then, the bridge must pass inspection before being re-opened to traffic.

Inspection is expected to happen in the next two weeks.

The Lansing Bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge in Wisconsin, has been closed since Feb. 25 after work on its replacement bridge shifted two piers. The bridge connects Crawford County, Wisconsin to northeastern Iowa.

An estimated 2,200 vehicles used the bridge daily, according to Wisconsin and Iowa politicians in a letter seeking federal funding to repair the bridge. The closure means motorists have to drive over an hour out of the way to cross the Mississippi by traveling north to La Crosse, Wis. or La Crescent, Minn. or south to Prairie du Chien, Wis. or Marquette, Iowa.

A free water taxi service has been in place in the interim to help people cross without needing to take the lengthy detour.

The current bridge was constructed in 1931. The new bridge will cost $140 million, with about 80% coming from federal funding and the rest split between Wisconsin and Iowa. Work began last fall on the new bridge.