Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing Opening Ahead of Schedule in November

The Iowa DOT says the new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing is ahead of schedule and will open sometime in November – well ahead of the original projected opening in the spring of next year. 

DOT engineer Clayton Burke says everyone has worked well together, including the construction crews who have worked ten-hour days, seven days a week.

Burke says they’ve also been blessed with some great working conditions.

The old bridge was used until it had to be closed permanently in late 2025 as construction on the new bridge had caused it to move. The DOT set up a ferry service for the thousands of commuters who had used the bridge every day. Burke says there is some more work on the new bridge deck to improve its grip for vehicles and help with flow of rain off of it. And there is work still to do on the bridge approaches.

Burke says they will know an exact date for opening the new bridge as they progress with the finishing work. Work started on the new bridge over the Mississippi at Lansing in late 2023. The old bridge was demolished last December.

story courtesy of Radio Iowa; photo courtesy of DOT