The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation plan to replace the Black Hawk Bridge connecting Iowa Highway 9 in Lansing, Iowa, to Wisconsin Highway 82 in rural Crawford County, Wis.
The cantilever bridge went into service in 1931 and needs replaced for a variety of reasons.
The bridge deck measures 21 feet and has no shoulders. Any crash or other incident would close the bridge as there is no room for motorists to pull over safely. The navigation channel under the bridge is 650 feet wide, which is problematic for barges and truck traffic has difficulty making the tight turn where Iowa 9 intersects in Lansing.
Additionally, winter maintenance crews have difficulty removing snow and ice from the bridge’s steel grate deck.
The departments will split the project’s $140 million costs with federal funding covering approximately 80 percent.
Some environmental work is underway, and preliminary work may begin this year.
Construction will begin next year with the new bridge being built beside the old bridge.
The old bridge will remain in use until 2026 when roads connecting to the new bridge will be constructed. Traffic will be detoured.
The new bridge will open in 2027, and the old bridge will be torn down.