New Mississippi River bridge at Lansing to open around 12:30 p.m. Friday

Traffic will be open on the new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing starting around 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, the Iowa Department of Transportation says, and the car ferry will run its last day the same day. The $140 million concrete-deck bridge carries Iowa 9 and Wisconsin 82 between Lansing, Iowa, and rural Crawford County, Wisconsin, replacing the nearly century-old Black Hawk Bridge, which closed in October 2025 and was imploded that December. The new 1,724-foot span mimics the old bridge's look with wider lanes and eight-foot shoulders. The opening is months ahead of the original spring 2027 timeline, credited to contractor Kraemer North America and favorable weather and river conditions. During the closure, the free car ferry averaged about 555 vehicles a day in summer 2026. The bridge is the only Mississippi crossing for roughly 60 miles between La Crosse and Prairie du Chien. Work continues through spring 2027, including ferry-landing restoration and removal of the old bridge's piers, with no full closures expected.