Water Taxi Service to Mississippi River at Lansing Shutting Down Friday (06.13)
On Monday (06.09), the Iowa DOT reopened the existing Mississippi River bridge at Lansing to traffic, bringing a three-week closure of the structure to an end.
The Iowa DOT District 2 office closed the bridge on May 17th when sensors detected movement in the almost 75-year-old structure. Following a detailed inspection and engineering analysis, Iowa DOT has determined that the bridge is safe for motor vehicle traffic with the same size and weight restrictions that were in place before. Iowa DOT will continually monitor the bridge to ensure safety.
During the final days of the closure, the Iowa and Wisconsin DOTs offered a free shuttle and water taxi to cross the river. When the bridge reopened, the service continued, though there was no indication of how long that might be.
On Friday (06.13), the Iowa DOT issued an update that, “Now that the bridge is open, water taxi usage has declined to almost zero. With that being the case we are suspending the water taxi schedule at the end of Friday, June 13th.”
The water taxi is likely to return yet this summer with the Iowa DOT anticipating another multi-week closure of the existing bridge to allow for certain construction activities on the new bridge being erected nearby. The existing bridge will be open at least through the July 4 weekend and any future planned closures will be publicized at least one week in advance.
