Bridges
Project Challenge: Steel Span Lifted in Place on $140M Mississippi River Bridge Project
The $1.8-million-lb steel center span was floated on the river by tugboat and installed over 12 hours.
The $140M reconstruction of Lansing Bridge on the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin reached a key milestone on June 12, as structure’s 220-ft-long center span was hoisted into place in a day-long operation.
Reconstruction of the Lansing Bridge between Iowa and Wisconsin reached a key milestone on June 12, as the new structure’s 220-ft-long center span was hoisted into place. The day-long operation brings the $140-million project one step closer to restoring the sole crossing along a largely rural 70-mile stretch of the Mississippi River.
Weighing nearly 1.8 million lb, the steel span was assembled on two 55x120-ft deck barges about 1,500 ft upstream from the bridge site, where Kraemer North America has been at work since October 2023 to replace the original 1930s structure that was demolished late last year after being deemed too unstable to safely remain in service until its new, wider 1,724-ft-long successor was complete. The removal inconvenienced area motorists but freed Kraemer to proceed virtually uninterrupted to drive piles for the new bridge’s concrete piers, and to erect steel spans from both sides of the river.
After being floated into position with the aid of a tugboat, the span was readied for its 64-ft vertical lift above the river’s main navigation channel using a strand jack system provided by Structural Technologies. The system consisted of four sets of 22 0.6-in, 270-ksi post-tensioning strands, with each set driven by a 330-ton hydraulic jack.
The lift process lasted nearly 12 hours, says Iowa Dept. of Transportation project manager Clayton Burke, due to generator issues that required replacement with backup units.
“There were several bolts that needed to be removed and replaced with flush pins to allow the center section to slide into place,” he adds. “Kraemer did an excellent job engineering the solution and working with the whole team to implement it safely.”
The protracted lift process did not deter dozens of recreational boaters on the water, while watching construction activity. The Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ensured they stayed a safe distance away.
“The months of planning and preparation were worth it, as the lift was completed successfully with only a few minor obstacles that were overcome," says Burke
Set for completion by spring, the replacement project’s remaining tasks include connecting the final steel truss members, pouring the concrete bridge deck, completing roadway reconstruction work and installing railing and lighting and painting. The last three piers remaining from the original bridge will be demolished this winter, and dolphins, dock walls and revetments will be removed.
Federal funding is covering about 80% of the project cost, with the balance evenly split between the Iowa and Wisconsin.
