Iowa DOT provides latest update on construction of new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing as growing structure begins to take shape

submitted by the Iowa Department of Transportation

Just over a month into the year 2025 there has been a lot taking place at the site of the new Mississippi River Bridge being constructed at Lansing. Overall, the weather has been pretty good and that has helped the bridge contractor, Kraemer North America, make a lot of progress over the past few weeks.

Bridge Beams in Place
It’s really starting to look like a bridge on the Wisconsin side of the river. With the three new piers and abutment completed on the east side of the river, Kraemer was able to set three spans of beams for the new bridge. Every one of the spans consists of five beams for 15 total beams currently in place.

Each one is just over five feet tall and approximately 121-feet long, weighing in at 106,500 pounds. The beams were trucked in from Midwest Precast Concrete in Mt. Pleasant to the construction site on the Wisconsin shoreline.

Now that the beams are in place, the next thing passers-by will see happen is Kraemer will start the decking for the bridge. This includes placing the forms for the deck, as well as the steel that will strengthen the deck. Expect to see that work starting in mid-April with a large concrete deck pour shortly after that.

Breaking Ice
That’s what’s happening on land, but it’s also busy out, and in, the water. Even though this winter has been fairly mild, it’s been cold enough to freeze the river. Kraemer has been busy with a tugboat and a barge patrolling the river to keep the water open. That allows them to safely get workers and equipment where needed throughout the months of below freezing temperatures.

The main work happening right now in the river is at pier two. That’s where crews are building a coffer cell around the already completed drilled shafts. This structure will give the workers a dry area to start building the footing for pier two. The footing is being built to keep the bridge strong - once built it will be able to withstand a barge hit.

Now to the Iowa shoreline, where work is happening at pier one. The contractor is working on the drilled shafts. These shafts are 11 feet wide and extend approximately 45-feet deep. Once the shafts are drilled and cleaned out, crews lower a rebar cage into the hole. They are then filled with concrete.

These three drilled shafts will form the foundation for the pier’s footing. The contractor will start working on the footing once the drilled shafts are complete.

To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, February 19, 2025 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.