LANSING, Iowa — Nov. 6, 2026 — Officials representing federal, state, and local agencies, along with community representatives, celebrated the opening of the new Iowa 9/WIS 82 Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 6, 2026. The participants then observed a ceremonial procession sponsored by Main Street Lansing before project staff removed barriers and regular traffic began using the new $165 million bridge connecting Iowa and Wisconsin.
“What a great day,” proclaimed Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Scott Marler. “On behalf of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, we want to express our gratitude to all the project personnel who made extraordinary efforts to open this bridge early, and we thank everyone in Iowa and Wisconsin for patience and perseverance. Governor Reynolds especially wants to recognize the staff of the Iowa DOT who have worked diligently on this project for many years and brought it to fruition.”
The prior bridge was closed permanently to traffic and removed in late 2025, after having experienced temporary closures earlier in 2025 and in 2024. Iowa DOT and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) had funded a car ferry service during the closure that carried more than 160,000 vehicles over the past year. Motorists who could not or chose not to use the car ferry used a detour route through Marquette, Iowa, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, about 30 miles south of the crossing at Lansing.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also spoke at the ceremony, thanking the project teams and noting the importance of the bridge to regional tourism and economic growth. In addition to Governor Evers and Director Marler, the ribbon cutting featured Clayton Burke, the Iowa DOT project manager; Jerry Roche of the Federal Highway Administration Iowa Division; and Sherry Quamme, Wisconsin state chair of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
The new bridge was constructed with about 11,400 cubic yards of concrete and 6,600 tons of steel. It was carefully designed to resemble the former structure, which is an icon of the Lansing (Iowa) community. The bridge foundations are 150 feet deep, which are nearly three times deeper than the original bridge that was constructed by a private toll company in 1931. The new bridge features wider traffic lanes and wider shoulders and is expected to carry about 2,500 vehicles daily. The new bridge also expands the navigation channel for commercial barges in the Mississippi River. More than 60 contractors, consultants, and industry partners worked on the project.
Although the bridge is open to traffic, there will be additional work to finish the project, including restoration of the car 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 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 at www.facebook.com/LansingBridge/.
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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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