Repair work needed to reopen Black Hawk Bridge begins

A contractor has been doing prep work so repairs on the historic Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing can begin, nearly two weeks after the crossing was ordered closed for safety reasons.

The Iowa Department of Transportation said Friday that as part of the repair work, sections of the bridge decking will be removed — closing the bridge to pedestrians as well as vehicles. The repairs would take about two months.

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The bridge connecting Allamakee County in Iowa with Crawford County in Wisconsin was ordered closed Feb. 25 after the structure moved. Engineers determined that two piers had shifted. The Iowa DOT said Friday part of its work would be to test other piers and to ensure that the bridge does not shift again.

On Feb. 29, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation allowing the state to tap into a federal emergency road repair fund. The estimated cost of the repairs has not been announced.

Just 50 feet to the north of the Black Hawk Bridge, which opened in 1931, construction of a new $140 million bridge to replace it began last fall. But the new connector is not expected to be complete until the end of 2026.

While the bridge remains closed, drivers have to travel for miles to find another crossing over the Mississippi. The Iowa DOT estimates there are about 2,220 crossings a day at the bridge.

Other options for crossing the river are either to the south using Highway 18 between Marquette and Prairie du Chien, Wis., or to the north, crossing the river on Highway 14 between La Crescent, Minn., and La Crosse, Wis.

The Iowa DOT said earlier it was exploring alternatives for drivers — some suggested a ferry over the river — but it has provided no updates.