Lansing Bridge Closure Hinders Travel and Tourism

Instead of seconds, it now takes people in Lansing hours to get across the Mississippi River.

The Allmakee County community sits along the Mississippi River.

On Wednesday, Iowa Department of Transportation inspectors found a crack in the Black Hawk Bridge over the river.

They immediately closed the bridge.

In this tiny tourist town, hopping across the river to La Crosse, Wisconsin seems to be what everyone does.

Lansing Resident, Jan Ehlers said,  "well its just a hardship one everyone". "

While the Black Hawk Bridge is closed people living here have to cross the river to Wisconsin either 30 miles north near Minnesota, or 30 miles south in Marquette.

But that also means far fewer drivers from Wisconsin are traveling here.

Ehlers said, "this is a busy time of year for the tourists. So that might cut back some traffic because people don't want to go all the way around "

The D.O.T says there's a significant crack in one of the 80- year- old bridge's support beams.

D.O.T. Engineer Mark Callahan said, " we're lucky we caught it. There is a significant safety issue, but not something that would have threatened the bridge as a whole."

The D.O.T says the crack isn't that severe. But they would rather be better safe than sorry. Bridge safety strikes an emotional nerve with people who use this bridge each day.  The 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse was only 180 miles from Lansing.

Ehlers said, "that was horrible. There were so many cars. It was a horrible horrible thing. "

Ehlers continued, "you'd rather be safe. You know there is a crack in there. You'd be going down through steel beams. That's not going to feel good. "

This bridge closure is an inconvenience, but worth it for these drivers to know they are safe.

The D.O.T says they will start repairs on the crack on Monday and hope to re-open the bridge by next Friday.