I was genuinely surprised to learn that a new bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa is going to be a cantilever truss bridge.
https://iowadot.gov/lansingbridge/New-Bridge-Design-Overview (https://iowadot.gov/lansingbridge/New-Bridge-Design-Overview)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53038351624_b42f63cbd4_z.jpg)
I associate this style bridge with a bygone era in the mid 20th Century when steel was cheaper and function over form was the order of the day. I am not aware of any recent bridges of this style being built. Perhaps others are?
All recent new bridges over the upper Mississippi have been like cable arches or cable stay spans. Or just boring viaducts (like the recent new bridge for I-90). So it's interesting to see them go with a 'retro' design for this minor crossing.
A lot of reasons that new truss bridges are rarely built is that any expansion is very difficult, and moreover so that they are fracture critical making them more susceptible to collapse.
Quote from: Big John on February 16, 2024, 12:46:24 PM
A lot of reasons that new truss bridges are rarely built is that any expansion is very difficult, and moreover so that they are fracture critical making them more susceptible to collapse.
Gussetless trusses are safer than the old trusses with gusset plates. NYSDOT is building one starting this summer north of Syracuse -- US 11 over Oneida Lake. State Historical Preservation Office required a truss to replace the old truss.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 16, 2024, 11:36:54 AM
I was genuinely surprised to learn that a new bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa is going to be a cantilever truss bridge.
Quote from: Project Website FAQ
Q: Is the bridge at Lansing historic?
A: Yes, the Iowa DOT determined the current bridge at Lansing eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The Iowa State Historic Preservation Officer agreed and confirmed that determination in 2016. This historic designation helped drive the design of the new bridge to closely resemble the old bridge.
A new bridge would cost far less over time than a major retrofit of the existing Black Hawk Bridge.
The "don't replace" option also wasn't feasible because the nearest adjacent crossings are 40 miles in either direction at La Crosse to the north and Prairie du Chien to the south.
Quote from: Big John on February 16, 2024, 12:46:24 PM
A lot of reasons that new truss bridges are rarely built is that any expansion is very difficult, and moreover so that they are fracture critical making them more susceptible to collapse.
It's highly unlikely traffic on this new bridge would ever reach a point that requires widening. Lansing, IA has fewer than 1,000 residents. A Kwik Star is probably the closest to a commercial chain establishment it has. The nearest emergency room is in Waukon, IA, about 25 miles away via twisting back roads. Ditto for the nearest Dollar General. The nearest McDonalds or Culver's is 30 miles and 45 minutes away. Suffice it to say that Lansing is an isolated town.
I am disappointed that there wasn't more consideration made for pedestrians and bicyclists. The 8-foot shoulders on each side are fine, but there's no guardrail or anything else to separate vehicle traffic from pedestrians or bicyclists. At the planned posted 25 mph speed limit, maybe that's not strictly necessary.
Quote from: JREwing78 on February 17, 2024, 11:54:57 PM
At the planned posted 25 mph speed limit, maybe that's not strictly necessary.
I assume that's cuz they don't want traffic to pick up a head of steam coming into Lansing.
The current bridge is indefinitely closed until a thorough inspection can be done to determine its structural integrity.
Quote from: Big John on February 25, 2024, 11:16:22 PM
The current bridge is indefinitely closed until a thorough inspection can be done to determine its structural integrity.
That's disconcerting. Construction on the new span has been underway for a few months now.
https://www.wxow.com/news/top-stories/iowa-dot-lansing-bridge-closed-due-to-slight-movement-of-the-bridge/article_305ecbfe-d42d-11ee-a93a-1b98e7d100a4.html
The inspection found movement in 2 piers. Stabilization efforts have begun but the bridge could be closed for up to 2 months.
Damn, should've started the new bridge a year earlier.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on February 28, 2024, 11:15:44 AM
Damn, should've started the new bridge a year earlier.
I doubt it would have mattered. The piers didn't suddenly start moving until construction on the piers for the new bridge was underway.
The fix for the (old) Lansing bridge: pull out the bridge deck, replace the existing piers with new steel ones, and then put the bridge deck back.
Meanwhile, Iowa's DOT is working on a water taxi and van pool for folks who need to make the crossing.
Work underway to repair Mississippi River bridge at Lansing
https://www.radioiowa.com/2024/03/08/work-underway-to-repair-mississippi-river-bridge-at-lansing/ (https://www.radioiowa.com/2024/03/08/work-underway-to-repair-mississippi-river-bridge-at-lansing/)
It hasn't been shared here I think, but the Black Hawk Bridge re-opened a couple of weeks ago.
The bridge re-closed when movement was found in a pier again.
Safety Concerns shut down bridge crossing Mississippi River into Iowa.
https://www.wpr.org/news/safety-concerns-shut-down-black-hawk-bridge-mississippi-river-iowa
(https://www.wpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Black_Hawk_Bridge_Lansing_Iowa_from_west_to_east.jpg)
A bridge crossing the Mississippi River between Wisconsin and Iowa is closed due to safety concerns.
Iowa Department of Transportation officials closed the Black Hawk Bridge late Saturday night after a monitoring system detected movement in one of the bridge's support piers.
Construction has been underway for more than a year to replace the 94-year-old bridge connecting rural southwest Wisconsin to Lansing, Iowa. It's the only river crossing in the 60-mile stretch of state Highway 35 between La Crosse and Prairie du Chien.
Clayton Burke, project manager for the Iowa DOT, said a pier on the Iowa side of the bridge, referred to as Pier 3, moved to the north about 1.5 inches and sank into the ground slightly. He said a survey of the bridge was completed on Sunday and engineers were working Monday to evaluate whether the bridge was safe for use.
Burke said bridges are designed for some movement due to changing temperatures. But other factors, like overweight vehicles, can cause a bridge to shift too much.
"We are vibrating piling (for construction of the new bridge) into the ground right next to Pier 3, so that could certainly have an influence on the structure of the bridge," he said.
Burke said the DOT also had problems with Pier 3 moving last fall when they were working on construction next to the previous pier. Work on the new bridge was halted for about a month because of the movement.
This is the second time the existing bridge has been shut down since construction started. The crossing was closed between February and April in 2024 after construction caused two piers on the Wisconsin side of the river to slide out of place. Those piers were replaced, and the Iowa DOT provided a water taxi service during the two-month outage.
Burke said it's too soon to tell how long the current closure could last, but the DOT is hoping to release an update by the end of the week. He said the safety of the structure is the agency's top concern.
"We want to assure everybody that if it does reopen, it's because it was determined to be very safe to do so," he said.
Joanne White lives in Ferryville, a Wisconsin village just south of the Black Hawk Bridge, and sits on the village's tourism council. She said people in the village frequently cross the bridge to Lansing in order to grocery shop, attend church or dine at restaurants.
After going through the two-month closure last year, White said the uncertainty around how long this closure will last is challenging.
"It's a lifeline to go over there easily, and we take it for granted that we can get there," she said. "It is frustrating, but we want it to be safe."
A prolonged closure could have an economic impact on village businesses that count on summer tourism. This season may already be impacted by the temporary closure of state Highway 35 north of Prairie du Chien due to construction, affecting travelers looking to drive Wisconsin's Great River Road.
White said members of the tourism council were already reporting a decline in visitors for the annual Rummage on the River event over the weekend.
"We still want people to come to Ferryville and to Lansing because of the beauty, and especially for the summer," she said. "So we hope (the Black Hawk Bridge) won't be closed for a terribly long time."
That would be the bridge connecting STH 82 with IA 9 and IA 26: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3660634,-91.2137157,414m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. Perhaps it is time to start planning to replace the existing Black Hawk Bridge with a new one.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on May 20, 2025, 11:26:20 AMThat would be the bridge connecting STH 82 with IA 9 and IA 26: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3660634,-91.2137157,414m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. Perhaps it is time to start planning to replace the existing Black Hawk Bridge with a new one.
The new bridge is under construction. This is the second closing because of pier impacts from the new bridge.
I wasn't aware of that. Thank you.
Quote from: Big John on May 20, 2025, 11:33:43 AMQuote from: The Ghostbuster on May 20, 2025, 11:26:20 AMThat would be the bridge connecting STH 82 with IA 9 and IA 26: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3660634,-91.2137157,414m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. Perhaps it is time to start planning to replace the existing Black Hawk Bridge with a new one.
The new bridge is under construction. This is the second closing because of pier impacts from the new bridge.
Here is the page on the replacement. (https://iowadot.gov/modes-travel/roads-highways/major-construction-projects/mississippi-river-bridge-lansing)
Quotes from the woman in the article notwithstanding, they really are lucky they are replacing this bridge at all. There just isn't much on either side of the river there, and the stretch between Prairie du Chien and La Crosse isn't that much different than the stretch between Prairie du Chien and Dubuque to the south.
(https://iowadot.gov/sites/default/files/styles/text_editor_content_full_xl/public/images/2025-03/timeline_small.png.webp?itok=XvuawKZ7)
Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 20, 2025, 11:53:23 AMQuote from: Big John on May 20, 2025, 11:33:43 AMQuote from: The Ghostbuster on May 20, 2025, 11:26:20 AMThat would be the bridge connecting STH 82 with IA 9 and IA 26: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3660634,-91.2137157,414m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDUxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. Perhaps it is time to start planning to replace the existing Black Hawk Bridge with a new one.
The new bridge is under construction. This is the second closing because of pier impacts from the new bridge.
Here is the page on the replacement. (https://iowadot.gov/modes-travel/roads-highways/major-construction-projects/mississippi-river-bridge-lansing)
Quotes from the woman in the article notwithstanding, they really are lucky they are replacing this bridge at all. There just isn't much on either side of the river there, and the stretch between Prairie du Chien and La Crosse isn't that much different than the stretch between Prairie du Chien and Dubuque to the south.
I assume people who live in Lansing or Waukon use it to go to LaCrosse, but yes, I have to believe they are lucky to be getting a new bridge there.
The new bridge is going to look a lot like the old bridge, which the people of Lansing had to fight like hell for. The DOT would rather build a simple concrete beam bridge, but it's going to be a cantilever truss bridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENUlD_WKYwA. Interesting watch if you have 30 minutes.
Quote from: Fredddie on May 20, 2025, 07:03:02 PMThe new bridge is going to look a lot like the old bridge, which the people of Lansing had to fight like hell for. The DOT would rather build a simple concrete beam bridge, but it's going to be a cantilever truss bridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENUlD_WKYwA. Interesting watch if you have 30 minutes.
Thanks for posting that, great video. Using a non-spec bridge template probably added 25% to the cost (hence to fight for it) but it was definitely worth it.
In this era of low cost, low rigor design, bridge building, its good to see that the will of the people is respected here.
DOT's hate steel trusses becuase they are expensive to maintain compared to the typical pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete designs. But they did good here.
Quote from: edwaleni on May 20, 2025, 08:44:40 PMQuote from: Fredddie on May 20, 2025, 07:03:02 PMThe new bridge is going to look a lot like the old bridge, which the people of Lansing had to fight like hell for. The DOT would rather build a simple concrete beam bridge, but it's going to be a cantilever truss bridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENUlD_WKYwA. Interesting watch if you have 30 minutes.
Thanks for posting that, great video. Using a non-spec bridge template probably added 25% to the cost (hence to fight for it) but it was definitely worth it.
In this era of low cost, low rigor design, bridge building, its good to see that the will of the people is respected here.
DOT's hate steel trusses becuase they are expensive to maintain compared to the typical pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete designs. But they did good here.
Yeah that was an interesting video. And I think DOTs have done a good job building things that are more visually appealing lately. (For example, the I-74 bridge in the Quad Cities.) Unfortunately they decided to make the new I-80 bridge as boring as the current one.
Watching the video. Also watching the bridge itself:
https://share.earthcam.net/tJ90CoLmq7TzrY396Yd88DhSQ_bQBu2BcqLs-KMS5o8!.tJ90CoLmq7TzrY396Yd88NOSpngvA1t7NjvZvtmYLME!/mississippi_river_bridge_at_lansing/camera/live
Must say that's an interesting design (the old one).
Similar thread in Central States. Perhaps they could be combined? Probably here, because one of the 2 states it connects (Wisconsin) isn't a "Central state".
Done.
As of Wednesday June 4th, they've implemented a "shuttle and water taxi" service Monday-Saturday to connect the two sides.
The water taxi runs 8 times per day to connect the two sides. The shuttle transfers folks from the marina to Lansing city hall, and from the Big Slough Lansing on the WI to the DeSoto community center.
They don't elaborate, but I presume this means they will let commuters park at the community center.
It's not particularly helpful for commuters to LaCrosse; Hwy 26 does a serviceable job connecting Lansing to LaCrescent, then LaCrosse. But it's useful for folks commuting to Viroqua or Prairie du Chein.
There's a regional bus service, Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit, that runs their "Red Route" the length of Hwy 35 connecting LaCrosse to Prairie du Chein, but it doesn't appear this water taxi has coordinated with that service (or it's not published). The earliest shuttle/taxi run to LaCrosse arrives 45 minutes after the SMRT bus passes through DeSoto, and the return to Prairie du Chein arrives about 5 minutes after the taxi/shuttle's 2nd run of the day. https://ridesmrt.com/Pages/RedRoute
WisDOT makes their carpool shuttle vans available for such uses; that would be one other way to solve the issue of "car on one side, house on the other".
https://iowadot.gov/modes-travel/roads-highways/major-construction-projects/mississippi-river-bridge-lansing/free-shuttle-water-taxi
Probably paywalled, but the bridge has reopened. (https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2025/06/09/lansing-iowa-black-hawk-bridge-mississippi-river-iowa-dot-closure-water-tax/84115393007/)
Quote from: 74/171FAN on June 14, 2025, 12:46:30 PMProbably paywalled, but the bridge has reopened. (https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2025/06/09/lansing-iowa-black-hawk-bridge-mississippi-river-iowa-dot-closure-water-tax/84115393007/)
..and I was hoping to drive it when I went through there on the 5th. Next up is the I-72 bridge, which is currently closed, but I'm hoping that the incentives for the contractor work to get at least one lane open by the time I come through there on the 27th.
Pretty embarrassing as a country that our schedules are so out of whack with replacing these particular bridges. Wonder if bridge closings are increasing in number in general due to stretched resources.
Quote from: Rothman on June 14, 2025, 01:47:26 PMNext up is the I-72 bridge, which is currently closed, but I'm hoping that the incentives for the contractor work to get at least one lane open by the time I come through there on the 27th.
Yeah, the incentives convinced me to keep plans to clinch I-72 on my Springfield, IL, Meet Trip route plan hoping for the best.
Quote from: 74/171FAN on June 14, 2025, 07:16:38 PMQuote from: Rothman on June 14, 2025, 01:47:26 PMNext up is the I-72 bridge, which is currently closed, but I'm hoping that the incentives for the contractor work to get at least one lane open by the time I come through there on the 27th.
Yeah, the incentives convinced me to keep plans to clinch I-72 on my Springfield, IL, Meet Trip route plan hoping for the best.
Of course, wouldn't be the first time a contractor didn't hit their schedule...
IowaDOT and WisDOT are now planning to demolish the existing bridge this fall instead of waiting until the new bridge opens in 2027, due to concerns that the next stages of construction could further destabilize the bridge.
https://iowadot.gov/news/2025-07-14/iowa-and-wisconsin-plan-existing-lansing-bridge-demolition-fall-2025 (https://iowadot.gov/news/2025-07-14/iowa-and-wisconsin-plan-existing-lansing-bridge-demolition-fall-2025)
They've already had to close the bridge twice. As much as they wanted to maintain that connection, it was becoming problematic. They can operate a ferry between the two sides on at least an hourly basis for the portion of the year the river channel is open to traffic. Preferably, they would employ two or more ferries so that service can run every half-hour, at least during peak times.
It's going to be hard for the locals, but this wouldn't be the first time the town's been cut off from the Wisconsin side for extended periods of time.
Time to make a drive up that way to cross the old bridge one more time before it closes.
Quote from: tchafe1978 on July 16, 2025, 12:45:45 AMTime to make a drive up that way to cross the old bridge one more time before it closes.
It was closed when I was up there a month ago.
https://iowadot.gov/news/2025-07-14/iowa-and-wisconsin-plan-existing-lansing-bridge-demolition-fall-2025
I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet
Quote from: DandyDan on July 16, 2025, 05:04:56 PMhttps://iowadot.gov/news/2025-07-14/iowa-and-wisconsin-plan-existing-lansing-bridge-demolition-fall-2025
I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet
Look up...
Quote from: Rothman on July 16, 2025, 01:58:35 PMQuote from: tchafe1978 on July 16, 2025, 12:45:45 AMTime to make a drive up that way to cross the old bridge one more time before it closes.
It was closed when I was up there a month ago.
It was recently reopened after being closed for a couple weeks while it was being inspected. It is back open for the time being until they demo it this fall.