Black Hawk Bridge back open to traffic after repairs are completed, bridge tested
As evident in the surrounding photos on this page, the Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing was opened to traffic by Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) officials Saturday, April 20 at approximately 11 a.m., bringing to an end a nearly two-month closure that involved an extensive repair process and rigorous safety testing and inspection. The bridge had been closed since February 25 of this year after discovery of an unexpected buckling of the bridge that was then determined to be the result of two of the bridge piers shifting on the eastern end of the structure.
“Our contracting partner, Kraemer North America, worked diligently to replace the piers,” Iowa DOT officials said. “The new piers are supported by steel pipe pilings reaching more than 100 feet into bedrock compared to the previous pilings that were placed more than 90 years ago and reached approximately 40 feet deep.”
The trusses that made up the sections of bridge deck that were removed and reset as part of the bridge pier repair project were inspected according to the National Bridge Inspection Standards before the bridge was opened again. This inspection was performed by a qualified bridge inspector who was trained in the inspection of fracture-critical members and all other bridge components per national standards. No defects were found to restrict the reopening of the bridge to regular vehicular traffic.
The Iowa DOT further notes that those traveling on the bridge from the Wisconsin side may still notice new, temporary traffic signals on Wisconsin Highway 82 (the dike road) near the bridge. The signals are a safety feature put in place to stop traffic only when the contractor needs to move equipment and materials delivered to the job site for the continued construction of the new bridge. The signals are expected to remain “green” the majority of the time and should not impede traffic for any extended period of time.
The completed repair and reopening of the existing bridge now means that the water taxi and shuttle service between Iowa and Wisconsin has ended. “Thank you for your patience during this unexpected event,” Iowa DOT officials shared in regard to the closing.
Work on the new bridge is moving forward as expected. For more information on the construction of the new Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing, go to iowadot.gov/lansingbridge and sign up to receive updates directly to an email inbox or check out the Facebook page www.facebook.com/LansingBridge/.
