The Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing, which connects Crawford County in Wisconsin to Lansing, Iowa, was re-opened at 11 a.m. on Saturday after nearly two months of being closed for emergency repairs. The 93-year-old bridge had to have two new piers set and bridge decking replaced after construction on its replacement shifted part of the bridge in late February. The Iowa Department of Transportation said that the bridge passed inspection, allowing it to be reopened. Initially, DOT officials had estimated that the bridge would be closed until the end of April. DOT officials said that that the new piers have steel pipe pilings driven more than 100 feet into bedrock. This replaces the existing ones that only went down about 40 feet and have been in existence for almost a century. An estimated 2,200 vehicles used the bridge daily. A free water taxi service was used during the closure to help people cross without needing to take the lengthy detour. That service has now ended with the reopening of the bridge.
