Black Hawk Bridge, Steel road bridge in Lansing, United States.
The Black Hawk Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge that crosses the Mississippi River between Lansing, Iowa, and the opposite bank in Wisconsin. It carries two lanes of road traffic across the river on a steel frame supported by piers set into the water.
The bridge was completed in 1931 by the Iowa-Wisconsin Bridge Company and was the first road crossing over the Mississippi in this part of the river. Before it opened, travelers had to rely on ferries to get between the two states.
The bridge is known to a wider audience through its appearance in David Lynch's 1999 film The Straight Story, in which a character crosses the Mississippi. Drivers who have seen the film often recognize the steel framework as they cross today.
The bridge is open to vehicle traffic and free to cross, but it is worth checking current road conditions before setting out, as maintenance work can sometimes affect access. Stopping at the riverbanks on either side gives a good view of the steel structure from below.
In February 2024, routine inspection work uncovered serious damage to the bridge's foundation piers, leading to emergency repairs and an immediate closure. The bridge was only reopened to traffic in April of that year, after a full structural review.
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