The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), together with the Iowa Department of Transportation, today announce a car ferry service will start on Monday, Nov. 3 to provide an alternative option following the closure of the of the existing WIS 82 / Iowa 9 Mississippi River bridge between Crawford County, Wisconsin and Lansing, Iowa. The existing bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, closed to traffic on Oct. 20 as construction continues on a new bridge.
The free, 12-vehicle ferry will provide an alternative way for vehicles to cross the river and operate for 16 hours, seven days a week. The ferry will operate from a Wisconsin landing at the western end of WIS 82, adjacent to the bridge construction site, and cross to the Iowa landing at the Lansing Marina, north of the bridge. The first daily departures will start at 5:30 a.m. from Wisconsin and 5:45 a.m. from Iowa. The final daily departures will be at 9 p.m. from Wisconsin and 9:15 p.m. from Iowa.
The car ferry will operate on a continuous basis with one-way cycles estimated to take about 15 minutes, including loading, travel and unloading. Ferry service may be paused temporarily for weather, river conditions, commercial traffic, crew changes, refueling, ferry maintenance, or site maintenance.
There is no cost to use the ferry. It will be open to cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. Two-axle trucks under 10 tons may also use the ferry. Trailers, ATV/UTVs, or larger vehicles such as RVs, buses, or farm equipment are not allowed.
To support more efficient travel for daily commuters, we kindly request that priority access to the car ferry be given to commuter traffic during peak hours: 5:30–7:30 a.m. and 3:30–5:30 p.m. We encourage non-commuters to consider traveling outside these timeframes when possible.
On Iowa DOT-observed holidays, the car ferry will operate on a revised schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The first holiday to follow this schedule will be Veterans Day, Nov. 11, followed by the Thanksgiving holiday, Nov. 27–28, and Christmas, Dec. 25. Please visit the Lansing Car Ferry website for the full list of holidays following the revised schedule.
A new bridge is being constructed alongside the existing bridge. Iowa DOT, WisDOT, and the contractor have determined that future construction stages on the new bridge pose a risk to the safety of the existing bridge. Crews have already begun dismantling the existing bridge in advance of a full demolition later this year.
In addition to the car ferry, there are marked highway detour routes in both states. The nearest highway bridge is approximately 30 miles south at US 18 connecting Marquette, Iowa to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
Additional information on the Lansing Bridge construction project will continue to be announced through Iowa DOT’s project website, the Iowa DOT’s project Facebook page, local media, on digital message signs on either end of the bridge, and through 511 Iowa and 511 Wisconsin. The Iowa DOT and WisDOT project teams are also communicating closely with government officials and other stakeholders in the affected communities. The project website will soon feature an instruction and FAQ section about the car ferry service to help local residents prepare for that option. Individuals may also sign up to receive email updates.
