LANSING, Iowa – Oct. 5, 2026 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) are announcing that the Iowa 9/WIS 82 Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing is expected to open to traffic on the afternoon on Friday, Nov. 6. The agencies had previously announced an early November opening which is significantly ahead of the original timeline for spring of 2027.
The Mississippi River Bridge project started in late 2023. The prior bridge was closed permanently in late 2025 and demolished in December of 2025. Project staff credited the early opening to the concentrated work of contracting team which has also been aided by favorable weather and river conditions.
Since November 2025, Iowa DOT and WisDOT have provided a free car ferry service through two different operators. The ferry service carried about 555 vehicles daily over the river in the summer of 2026. The last day of car ferry service will be Nov. 6.
Motorists who cannot or choose not to use the car ferry have used a marked detour route on the U.S. 18 bridge connecting Marquette, Iowa, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, about 30 miles south of the crossing at Lansing.
Even after the bridge opens to traffic, there will be additional work to be completed outside of the main traffic lanes, including restoration of the ferry landing areas and removal of the prior bridge piers and foundations. In spring 2027, additional work on the bridge deck will require traffic disruptions but should not require any full closures. The entire project is expected to be completed in late spring 2027.
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 your inbox or check out our Facebook page www.facebook.com/LansingBridge/.
Information on the ferry is available at https://iowadot.gov/lansingcarferry.
The latest traveler information is available anytime through our 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or X (find links at https://iowadot.gov/travel-tools/iowa-511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to your mobile device.
It’s easy to subscribe to Your 511 and sign up to receive email/text alerts. Visit https://new.511ia.org/#login to sign up. For instructions and help with this feature, visit https://511ia.org/help/section/how-to-create-and-manage-a-511-account.html.
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For questions about this news release, please contact Clayton Burke at 515-290-2376 or [email protected].
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