New Mississippi River bridge opens, reconnecting communities in southwest Wisconsin

Sherry Quamme lives on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River near Ferryville. Over the last three years, she’s had a birds-eye view of the construction of a new bridge that finally opened to the public on Friday. It replaces a nearly century-old crossing known as the Black Hawk Bridge that was demolished last December after multiple closures over safety concerns. The opening Friday came five months ahead of schedule and was celebrated by a ribbon cutting ceremony held by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Understanding Wisconsin, Together. WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Email Subscribe Quamme, who is the Wisconsin chair of the nonprofit Mississippi River Parkway Commission, told the crowd that the new structure is a critical crossing along the river. It’s the only bridge along a roughly 60-mile stretch between La Crosse and Prairie du Chien. “In 2024, 2,300 cars per day traveled across the bridge to reach the other side for business, pleasure, and travel,” Quamme said during her remarks. “The Black Hawk Bridge is the artery that moves the traffic as lifeblood to the entire region.” The overall appearance of the new bridge was designed to look just like the old structure at the request of local residents, according to officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation. But it has important modern safety features that the original Black Hawk Bridge was missing. The lanes are wider and have a shoulder area, giving commercial trucks and farm equipment more room. The foundation is also nearly three times deeper than what held up the original bridge. It was a critical problem for the old structure, which Iowa and Wisconsin DOT officials ended up closing earlier than expected last fall. “We know that closure created real hardships,” Gov. Tony Evers said at the ribbon cutting on Friday. “Commuters, businesses, families, and communities had to adjust to the loss of an essential route across the river.” Evers and Iowa DOT Director Scott Marler celebrated the partnership between the two states to complete the project. The $165 million project was primarily funded through the federal government, with the two states splitting the remaining costs. While the bridge is open for use, some work remains on the project, including a public fundraising campaign to power lights installed along its south side. Main Street Lansing is working to raise $170,000 for the project, and got a boost in funding by selling raffle tickets to win the chance to be one of the first cars to cross the new bridge on Friday. David Koziol of Lynxville was first in line on the Wisconsin side. He’s not originally from the Driftless Area, and he remembers his first visit to the Mississippi River region back in the 1980s. “I remember crossing the old Black Hawk Bridge,” he said. “It was a very iconic bridge, and it just means a whole lot to the area.” Koziol said he felt lucky to get to be a part of the opening for the new crossing, which officials hope will keep both sides of the river connected for another 100 years. Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Related Stories Wisconsin officially designates 250-mile section of Mississippi River Trail for cyclists 94-year-old bridge over Mississippi River demolished