Black Hawk Bridge in Lansing will be imploded this month

The departments of transportation in Iowa and Wisconsin will coordinate the Dec. 18 event

Construction crews work near the Black Hawk Bridge that connects Lansing, Iowa to De Soto, Wisconsin on Nov. 3. The bridge will be demolished this month as crews continue work to build a new bridge just feet from the old bridge. The new bridge will open in the spring of 2027. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

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The 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River at Lansing in northeast Iowa will meet its end this month in a planned implosion that’s being coordinated by the Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation.

The two state agencies announced Friday that the implosion is planned for Thursday, Dec. 18 at approximately 9:30 a.m., but could be delayed due to weather or other considerations.

The Black Hawk Bridge is being replaced with a new bridge that’s being built just feet from the original structure. Removal of the old bridge is necessary to allow construction of the new bridge to proceed.

Construction on the new bridge began in 2023, and is scheduled to be complete by the spring of 2027. Twice during construction, the Black Hawk Bridge has been closed to traffic due to safety concerns associated with construction of the new bridge.

Following the implosion on Dec. 18, crews will work to remove bridge debris from the river.

The Black Hawk Bridge closed to traffic in October, and a car ferry service began operation in November. The car ferry service will be suspended after the last river crossing on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Service will resume the morning of Sunday, Dec. 21.

In its release, the Iowa DOT acknowledged “there is strong public interest in the bridge,” and noted that it is working with WisDOT, the project contractor, local officials, law enforcement and other government agencies to plan for “safety traffic and other mitigation efforts before, during and after the implosion.”

A “clear zone” will be established by the project’s contractor to protect people from debris. Details about the zone and safety procedures for the public will be released Tuesday, Dec. 15.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close the river to commercial traffic before the implosion, according to the DOTs, and the river also will be closed to recreational boat traffic inside the clear zone.

In addition, a portion of Iowa Highway 26 will be closed for a short period of time the morning of the implosion because portions of the road are located inside the clear zone.

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