Discovery of support beam crack forces temporary closure of Black Hawk Bridge

by B.J. Tomlinson
 
Lansing’s Black Hawk Bridge “...will last a long time,” said Department of Transportation (DOT) District 2 Design Engineer, Mark Callahan. Except for the approximately 12-inch crack in a steel support beam and despite rumors to the contrary, Callahan said the bridge is in excellent shape. The flaw will be repaired by affixing steel reinforcement slabs on each side of the beam. The repair is not considered major and should be completed by Friday of this week at an estimated cost of approximately $25,000.
In the meantime, inspectors will continue their inspection of the bridge’s super structure. The crack was discovered by alert DOT inspectors Wednesday, August 17 during their routine biennial inspection. The cause of the crack is not known.
Callahan said that during a planning study a few years ago, the bridge was tested using strain and stress gauges and was determined to be very sound.
After the crack was discovered, the bridge was immediately closed, stranding several residents from Wisconsin and Iowa on the opposite side of the Mississippi River. Lansing Mayor Don Peters expressed concern for the businesses in Lansing who will be hurt financially while the bridge remains closed. A large percentage of the Lansing economy is supported by Wisconsin residents and tourists. The town was visibly quieter Friday night, with noticeably fewer than usual customers at restaurants, bars and gas stations.
In addition, several Iowa employees live in Wisconsin and vice-versa. Some have been driving an extra 70 miles (one way) daily to get to work, while others have been parking at the end of the bridge and walking over the steel grid span. Mayor Peters has coordinated a temporary ferry service, which began Monday, August 22. Jack Libbey and one of his Mississippi Explorer cruise boats will be available to transport residents across the main channel to/from Iowa and Wisconsin from 6:30-7:30 a.m. and again from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Although ferry arrivals and departures may not coincide exactly with employee schedules, affected employers have agreed to adjust working hours.
The ferry will depart from the landing near the River’s Edge Bar at the end of Main Street and deliver Iowa patrons to the sand bank on the other side; the ferry will return to the Lansing side, where the Wisconsin folks will be picked up by a mini van donated by the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) and driven by Peters. Peters will pick up and deliver employees to the Lansing-Blumenthal Company, Thornton Manor, Expresso and the school. Employees who work closer will walk to their destinations. The process will be reversed at the end of the work day. There is no charge for the service, and Mayor Peters reports that about 35 individuals took advantage of the ferry system to aid their commute Monday morning.