Black Hawk Bridge

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Black Hawk Bridge
Lansing Iowa bridge-7.jpg
Coordinates 43°21′55″N91°12′54″W / 43.36528°N 91.21500°W / 43.36528; -91.21500
Carries2 lanes of Circle sign 9.svgWIS 82.svg Iowa 9  / WIS 82
Crosses Upper Mississippi River
Locale Lansing, Iowa and Crawford County, Wisconsin, River Mile 663.4
Other nameLansing Bridge
Maintained by Iowa Department of Transportation
ID number NBI 000000000013520
Characteristics
DesignCantilever through truss
Total length1,653 feet (504 m)
Width21 feet (6 m), 2 lanes
Longest span653 feet (199 m)
Clearance below 68 feet (21 m)
History
OpenedJune 17, 1931
ClosedOctober 20, 2025
Statistics
Daily traffic 2,357 (2003)
TollNone
Location
Black Hawk Bridge

The Black Hawk Bridge spans the Mississippi River, joining the town of Lansing, in Allamakee County, Iowa, to rural Crawford County, Wisconsin. It is the northernmost Mississippi River bridge in Iowa.

Contents

Named for Chief Black Hawk, it is popularly referred to as the "Lansing bridge". It carries Iowa Highway 9 and Wisconsin Highway 82.

This riveted cantilever through truss bridge [1] has one of the more unusual designs of any Mississippi River bridge. Construction started in 1929 and was completed in 1931. The designer and chief engineer was Melvin B. Stone. The McClintic-Marshall Company of Chicago erected the trusses. The steel came from the Inland Steel Company.

The Wisconsin approach has a long causeway over Winneshiek bottoms (sloughs, ponds, and backwaters) before ramping up to the bridge itself. The main shipping channel is on the Iowa side. The Iowa approach is rather abrupt, going from a 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) city street straight up a steep ramp onto the bridge.

Originally a privately built and operated bridge owned by the Iowa-Wisconsin Bridge Company, it was closed between 1945 and 1957, due to damage from ice damming, and lacking funds to repair the bridge, the company went out of business. The two states acquired the bridge and repaired it.

Closure

The bridge has been subject to periodic closures in recent years. In August 2011 the bridge was briefly closed for repairs after a crack was found in a floor beam. [2] [3]

The Iowa Department of Transportation temporarily closed the Black Hawk Bridge on Highway 82 on February 25, 2024, citing structural integrity concerns following movement of two bridge piers. The department performed emergency repairs of the bridge, [4] which was reopened to traffic on April 20, 2024. [5] On May 18, 2025, the bridge was closed again due to a shifting pier, [6] with a temporary passenger-only water taxi service beginning June 4, 2025. [7] The bridge was re-opened June 9, 2025; but additional closes were expected related to construction of the new bridge. [8] The old bridge permanently closed on October 20, 2025, to safely allow for continued construction of the new bridge and demolition of the old bridge; leaving no direct road crossing for about 2 years. [9] [10] A temporary car ferry service across the river began November 3, 2025. [11]

Old Black Hawk Bridge from Wisconsin to Iowa Black Hawk Bridge Iowa - Wisconsin.jpg
Old Black Hawk Bridge from Wisconsin to Iowa
The old Black Hawk Bridge road was narrow. Black Hawk Bridge road.jpg
The old Black Hawk Bridge road was narrow.

Replacement

The old bridge had a sufficiency rating of 39.9 percent, which mainly reflected its obsolete nature. The Iowa Department of Transportation began planning for a replacement bridge, with feasibility studies beginning in 2004. [12] [13] It was revealed during a meeting on June 15, 2021, that the replacement bridge's design would look extremely similar to the current bridge's design while either retaining the pier's design or adopting a newer wave design. [14] A design similar to the original bridge was ultimately chosen; construction of the new bridge began in September 2023. [15]

Lansing (Black Hawk Bridge) construction and temporary closure of the old bridge, February 27, 2024. Lansing (Black Hawk Bridge) construction and closure.jpg
Lansing (Black Hawk Bridge) construction and temporary closure of the old bridge, February 27, 2024.

The old bridge was featured in a scene from the 1999 film The Straight Story , when Alvin Straight is depicted crossing the Mississippi River near the end of his 240-mile (386 km) journey. [16]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Cantilevered truss". Bridgehunter.com.
  2. ↑ "Iowa 9 bridge closed over the Mississippi River at Lansing". news.iowadot.gov. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Iowa DOT to reopen Iowa 9 bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing today". news.iowadot.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  4. ↑ James, Kyle (February 26, 2024). "Black Hawk Bridge on Highway 82 Shut Down for Safety Inspection". Iowa Pulse. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Black Hawk Bridge back open to traffic after repairs are completed, bridge tested | The Standard Newspaper". www.waukonstandard.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Safety concerns shut down bridge crossing Mississippi River into Iowa". WPR. May 19, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Free water taxi service set to launch Wednesday while Black Hawk Bridge is closed". News8000.com. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Lansing, Iowa, bridge over the Mississippi River reopens, but more closures are coming". The Des Moines Register. June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Lansing bridge will close tomorrow, more than a year ahead of new bridge's opening". The Gazette . Cedar Rapids, Iowa. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Iowa 9/WIS 82 Mississippi River Crossing Project Announces Bridge Closure Date and Plans for Car Ferry Service | Department of Transportation". iowadot.gov. October 7, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Wisconsin Department of Transportation Car ferry begins Monday at WIS 82 / IA 9 Mississippi River Crossing". wisconsindot.gov. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ Cantine-Maxson, Susan. "Public learns more at August 8 meeting about Iowa DOT study for potential replacement of Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing". www.waukonstandard.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  13. ↑ Iowa Department of Transportation (May 3, 2018). "Iowa 9 (Black Hawk) Bridge In Allamakee County to be Discussed May 15 in Lansing". www.news.iowadot.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  14. ↑ "June 15 meeting by Iowa DOT reveals location and design of Black Hawk Bridge replacement, explains environmental assessment | The Standard Newspaper". www.waukonstandard.com. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing". iowadot.gov. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  16. ↑ Lynch, James Q. (October 15, 1998). "Mower man film rolling". The Gazette . Cedar Rapids, Iowa . Retrieved July 23, 2018.

References

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