The closure of the existing Mississippi River bridge at Lansing doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.
On May 17th, sensors on the bridge detected movement on one of the piers. That prompted the Iowa DOT to close the bridge out of safety concerns.
The Iowa DOT issued an update Wednesday (05.28) that engineering firm, WJE, completed a thorough inspection of the bridge, including working through the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and they are currently analyzing the results. Their findings are expected back by late Friday to help decide what is next for the bridge.
In the meantime, the DOT is moving forward on getting a free water taxi service running again, with the dock for the service already installed at the Big Slough Landing today. The service could start by early next week.
The Iowa DOT issued a reminder on Monday (05.26) that the bridge is closed for the safety of all, which includes bicyclists and pedestrians. Officials say they’ve received reports of people going around the barricades, which is illegal.
In the meantime, both the Iowa DOT and the Wisconsin DOT recommend that motorists use the nearest bridges at La Crescent, Minnesota/Lacrosse, Wisconsin, or Marquette, Iowa/Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to cross the Mississippi River during the closure.
While the bridge is not open to vehicle, biking or pedestrian traffic, the river channel below the bridge remains open.
Work on the new Mississippi bridge just to the south of the existing bridge continues moving forward.
