Historic Black Hawk Bridge Removed As Ferry Fills In

A 94-year-old bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa, has been demolished, with a car ferry to replace it until a new bridge opens in 2027.

The Black Hawk Bridge carried Iowa 9 and Wisconsin 82 across the river at Upper Mississippi Mile 663.2. A contractor for the Iowa Department of Transportation demolished portions of the steel superstructure about 11:10 a.m. December 19.

The 1,700-foot bridge was adjacent to the location where a new, wider bridge is under construction. The Black Hawk Bridge closed to all vehicle traffic October 20 following a study showing that any additional lateral movement of the foundations could pose a safety risk.

“After we performed that study, we found that it was too much of a risk to continue construction and risk moving the bridge again,” Clayton Burke, Iowa DOT project manager for the Mississippi River Bridge At Lansing Project, said on a recent Iowa DOT podcast episode. “It wasn’t safe for the contractor or the public.”

Construction on the bridge, also known as the Lansing Bridge, began in 1929 and was completed in 1931. It was closed from 1945 to 1957 after suffering damage from ice dams. The riveted cantilever through truss design was considered unusual for the time and has been used widely in community branding.

“We worked with the community and local historical groups to determine what the structure will look like,” Burke said, adding that the superstructure for the new bridge is designed to resemble the old bridge.

While the former bridge was 21 feet wide, the new bridge will be 40 feet wide, with two 12-foot driving lanes and 8-foot shoulders. It will have a concrete deck instead of steel grating, making it easier to remove snow and ice. The design also eliminates a tight turn at a highway intersection on the Iowa side of the bridge. The new bridge’s pier placement increases the navigation channel beneath the bridge from 650 to 750 feet, making it easier for towboats and barges.

Construction challenges have included relocating endangered mussels and minimizing impacts to a national wildlife refuge on the Wisconsin side, Burke said. Additionally, the contractor, Kraemer North America, has had to make arrangements to manually dismantle part of the western end of the bridge, which passes over houses and a railroad track.

The Black Hawk Bridge was the northernmost bridge across the river in Iowa. The nearest other bridges are in La Crosse and Prairie Du Chein, Wis., but it takes about 45 minutes to reach either one. Until the new bridge opens, the Iowa and Wisconsin departments of transportation have partnered to provide a free car ferry, which began operation in November. The ferry can hold up to 12 cars at a time and operates daily, with the first trip beginning at 5:30 a.m. on the Wisconsin side and 5:45 a.m. from the Iowa side. The last trip leaves from the Wisconsin side at 9 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. from the Iowa side. Ferry landings have been constructed near Lansing Marina in Iowa and just west of Big Slough Boat Landing in Wisconsin.

“We’ve seen a surprising amount of usage, about 350 vehicles a day in a normal week,” Burke said of the ferry. “It’s very consistent. There are very few empty loads, so people are making good use of it.”

Once the Upper Mississippi River reopens to boat traffic in the spring, the contractor for the new bridge will need to closely coordinate with passing tows to ensure safety at the construction site, as the new bridge’s trusses are beginning to extend over the river, Burke said.

The final steel truss, in the middle of the new bridge, will be built on a barge and floated to the site before being lifted via hydraulic jacks and bolted into place, he said.

Construction on the new, $140 million bridge began in 2024, and it is tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2027, but Burke said the timing is dependent on several factors. He noted that spring flooding meant the contractor lost a month of construction time in 2024. Severe winter weather could also delay construction.

Featured image caption: Controlled explosives take down several of the steel trusses making up the superstructure of the Black Hawk Bridge. The bridge connects Lansing, Iowa, and Crawford County, Wis., over the Mississippi River. It was built from 1929 to 1931. A new bridge will open in 2027. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Transportation)