Iowa and Wisconsin DOTs announce early November opening for new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing

The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced Thursday, September 3 that the Iowa 9/WIS 82 Mississippi River Crossing that has replaced the Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing is proceeding well ahead of the original timeline for completion. According to that September 3 announcement, the agencies expect to open the bridge to traffic in early November 2026, instead of the initial planned opening in the spring of 2027.

The Mississippi River Crossing project has been proceeding since late 2023. The Black Hawk Bridge was closed permanently in late 2025 and demolished in December 2025. Project staff credited the early opening plans for the new bridge to the concentrated work of the contractors and subcontractors, which has also been aided by favorable weather and river conditions. Iowa DOT officials gave much of the credit to the crew members of the project contractor, Kraemer North America, and their subcontracted crews, for working seven days a week for as long as 10 hours a day throughout this summer, which experienced very few weather delays and very little fluctuation in river levels that presented any challenges for uninterrupted work on the new bridge.

The partnership between contractors, engineers, consultants and other involved entities was also credited with the advanced progress made on the project. Note was made of the planning process and the ability of that team to work together to formulate solutions to any challenges that arose during the project as being key to the newly-announced opening date in November of this year.

Since November 2025, the Iowa DOT and WisDOT have provided a free car ferry service through two different operators. In all, the ferry service has carried almost 131,000 vehicles over the river through the end of August 2026. Motorists who cannot or choose not to use the ferry have used a marked detour route on the U.S. 18 bridge connecting Marquette and Prairie du Chien, WI, about 30 miles south of the crossing at Lansing, or have traveled north approximately that same distance to cross the Mississippi River between La Crescent, MN and La Crosse, WI.

The exact bridge opening date will not be established for several weeks as construction continues. Officials say a notice of more specific date and opening details will be released sometime in late October/early November, anywhere from one to three weeks prior to the bridge opening date. Iowa DOT and WisDOT officials say they will work closely with the project contractors and the local communities to pinpoint the exact opening date.

WORK TO BE DONE
Between the DOT’s September 3 announcement and the opening date, crews will be completing some finishing touches that will become less and less noticeable to passersby. The safety barrier/railing on the north and south edges of the bridge are currently in progress, as is roadwork on the approach areas to the bridge on both the west and east sides (Iowa Highway 26 and Wisconsin Highway 82).

DOT officials say finishing work will also be done on the poured concrete deck, including cutting grooves into the surface to facilitate better tire traction for vehicles. Those grooves will also provide room for rain to be flushed out from underneath vehicle tires to prevent hydroplaning, and will also help prevent standing water that could form into icy spots in colder weather.

Even after the bridge opens to traffic, there will be additional work to be completed outside of the main traffic lanes on the bridge. Iowa DOT officials also advised that there will need to be single-lane closures at certain points throughout next year to fully complete the bridge project.

Some of that work on the actual bridge will include painting the bridge and the placement of lights upon the bridge. Other work still to be done adjacent to the bridge but not necessarily impacting its accessibility will include the final removal of a concrete pier from the former Black Hawk Bridge on the Iowa side of the river, as well as the removal of the concrete dolphins located in the river just to the north of the east end of the bridge.

When the bridge opens to traffic, the car ferry service will be discontinued, and the project will restore the ferry landing areas. Until then, car ferry service will continue as it has been, with more information available at https://iowadot.gov/lansingcarferry.

For further 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 project’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/LansingBridge/. Additional updates will also be provided in future editions of The Standard, as well as on The Standard’s Facebook page.