MENASHA – The opening of the new Racine Street bridge has been delayed a third time.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that the new bridge will remain closed to traffic until spring.
The two-year, $33 million reconstruction of the bridge over the Fox River originally was scheduled for completion in September, but that was delayed to mid-December due to supply-chain issues.
The DOT then pushed back the opening to mid-January, citing adverse weather. At the time, it said contractors would need to balance the double-leafed drawbridge in the spring, which would require closing the bridge to traffic for three or four weeks.
Under the latest plan, the bridge will remain closed for the remainder of the work, including balancing and testing.
“Bridge crews have determined vibrations from on-bridge traffic could hamper remaining operations,” the DOT said in a news release. “The bridge will open prior to the spring 2023 navigation season in April.”
Traffic will continue to be detoured over the Tayco Street and Washington Street bridges.
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The new bridge is aligned slightly to the east of the previous bridge. It features two 11-foot-wide travel lanes, two 5-foot bicycle lanes and two 6-foot sidewalks protected by concrete barriers. It also has a bridgetender house and the drawbridge to allow boats to pass.
In addition, there will be an auxiliary navigation channel with a higher clearance to allow more boats to pass without opening the drawbridge, avoiding delays for boaters and motorists alike.
The reconstruction project added roundabouts at each end of the bridge: one at Racine and Main streets and one at Racine and Ahnaip/Keyes streets. The roundabouts opened to traffic in September.
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.
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