I-94's large river bridges in Jefferson County are close to being flooded over right now. It seems like they are too close to the water to be up to code, if there is a bridge height regulation.
Both bridges were shut down and a dump truck loaded with dirt parked on both in 2008 during the massive flood that closed 39/90/94 in Columbia County due to its height above the Baraboo river flooding it. These bridges are remnants of old WIS 30's alignment that were kept to this day.
There's been a ton of precipitation in the area lately. The Rock River in Janesville has been running very high for weeks, hampering efforts to complete the Milwaukee St. bridge over the Rock River in downtown. One wonders if the new bridge was built with sufficient clearance given the river levels in the past few years.
This is not the only impact of the high water. Two lakes near Lodi are flooded to the point that many homes have been rendered uninhabitable. I have a friend whose parents' lakefront home is now in the lake.
Quote from: SSOWorld on October 12, 2019, 07:46:25 PM
These bridges are remnants of old WIS 30's alignment that were kept to this day.
To be clear, you're referring to its alignment and not being raised rather than the actual structure? Because those bridges look very modern.
Quote from: sprjus4 on October 12, 2019, 10:20:12 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on October 12, 2019, 07:46:25 PM
These bridges are remnants of old WIS 30's alignment that were kept to this day.
To be clear, you're referring to its alignment and not being raised rather than the actual structure? Because those bridges look very modern.
the deck yes - look under it.
I think the original bridges over both rivers are the westbound bridges and are lower than the eastbound bridges which were built later when I-94 was built. I remember during that 2008 flood, they did park dump trucks on the westbound bridges to weigh them down. The DOT also had a detour in place that forced drivers to go all the way down I-43 to Beloit and then back to I-39/90 to get from Milwaukee to Madison, while the eastbound bridges remained open, as they didn't flood. Every other route over the Crawfish and Rock Rivers was flooded as well. After a few days or a week or so, the DOT decided to build crossovers so that they could put bi-directional traffic in the eastbound lanes, thereby eliminating the detour. Driving over them it's pretty obvious the eastbound bridges a a few feet higher than the westbound bridges.
The Interstate 94 eastbound bridge over Rock Creek is slated to be replaced next year. Maybe the DOT could look into replacing the Crawfish and Rock River bridges as well.
I'm pretty sure WIDOT knows what it is doing and if the bridges are in need of replacement. 2008 was an incredible event that affected multiple roads and highways in the area. That isn't close to being replicated.
I know all too well how bad that 2008 flood was. My mother, my stepfather and I were stranded on Packers Ave. (STH-113) for over three hours trying to get towed out. My mother and stepfather were driving me home from a west side bookstore (which is now defunct nationwide), it was dark, and the street they would have used to get to my place was closed, so we went on Highway 113 trying to take an alternative route, and got stuck in the floodwater. The water flooded the car, and completely destroyed the car's internal system. After being towed to my place, my mother and stepdad had to go back to their house via a taxi. Although the car was a total loss, mom was able to get a new car very quickly.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on October 14, 2019, 02:43:24 PM
I know all too well how bad that 2008 flood was. My mother, my stepfather and I were stranded on Packers Ave. (STH-113) for over three hours trying to get towed out. My mother and stepfather were driving me home from a west side bookstore (which is now defunct nationwide), it was dark, and the street they would have used to get to my place was closed, so we went on Highway 113 trying to take an alternative route, and got stuck in the floodwater. The water flooded the car, and completely destroyed the car's internal system. After being towed to my place, my mother and stepdad had to go back to their house via a taxi. Although the car was a total loss, mom was able to get a new car very quickly.
Oof.
I lived on high ground in Fort Atkinson at the time, and the only way to get up to I-94 was to take a series of local roads and county highways up to the WI-26 exit. WI-26 through Jefferson (prior to the current bypass), WI-106 and numerous other options were all closed.
Those bridges have been on the brink of flooding again several times since '08. But they are hanging in there. My guess is they won't get replaced until WisDOT gets the gumption to six lane 94 through there. But when they do, they will be taller and longer to allow more water through.