Sagging Wis. Bridge Expected to Open by January
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Oct. 22 that it expects to reopen by January the bridge that carries Interstate 43 traffic though Green Bay.
The Leo Frigo Bridge has been closed since Sept. 25 after a trucker crossing it late at night felt it sag and called 911.
Inspectors quickly determined that one of about 50 piers that support the bridge that spans the Fox River had weakened and sunk because of corrosion.
DOT officials said at a news conference that repair work would begin Nov. 4 and that they were putting out requests for bids that day that contain a completion date of Jan. 17.
“We think that’s an aggressive target, but it’s one that we’ve talked to contractors [about] and that we’re fairly confident that we can meet,” state Secretary of Transportation Mark Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb reiterated that the state is proceeding on three tracks: further investigation to determine why the pier corroded, emergency stabilization work that began Oct. 14 to prevent further damage to the structure and the long-term fix for the 8,000-foot span.
When open, the bridge carries 40,000 vehicles a day. I-43 is a main freight artery that stretches from Beloit, Wis., at the Illinois state line north to Milwaukee and Green Bay.
