After unexpected movement, engineers say two months needed to repair Lansing, Iowa bridge

LANSING, Iowa — It could take about two months to fix the Mississippi River bridge at Lansing, which has been closed after the span showed unexpected movement last weekend.

Engineers inspected the bridge and declared that movement occurred in two existing piers.

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is attempting to stabilize those piers, but the bridge will be closed until it is considered safe for traffic again.

The DOT said it is working on alternate transportation options for drivers, who use the bridge, so they won’t have to go roughly 30 miles north or south to cross other bridges at La Crosse or Prairie du Chien.

The situation is similar to when the current Highway 18 bridge between Prairie du Chien and Marquette, Iowa, was closed for several months in 1981, after flaws were found in steel support beams on that bridge.