Welcome to The Village of Ferryville
On Tuesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., the De Soto Area School District Interim Superintendent, Mike Richie, will be holding an informational meeting at the Ferryville Village Hall regarding the November 5th Operational Referendum that will appear on the ballot. Details are available in the Calendar under the Event. Village of Ferryville || Events Calendar (wi.gov)
LANSING BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
The flood waters have receded and it’s back to work for the contractors at the site of the new Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing. The high water shut down construction for just over a month proving again that Mother Nature almost always has the upper hand!
When the crews returned to work on July 22, they had to clean-up and set-up the project site. When the flood hit, crews moved equipment and materials to protect them from the water. Before they could resume construction, they had to put things back where they belong and clean materials that may have been covered in water. That includes power washing rebar as shown in the picture. It wasn’t just cleaning and moving equipment and materials, the contractor also had to do a lot of work on the site itself, like hauling in gravel to give them a solid and level surface to drive and work on.
Washing Rebar
As soon as the site was clean and ready, work started on three of the new piers.
First, at pier two in the Mississippi River, the contractor started installing the large iron tubes that will support the footing. These tubes, or casings, are 11.5-feet wide and are driven over 100-feet below the river bottom to bedrock with a large vibratory hammer. During this process we closed the existing bridge for a couple hours to minimize the chance of any damage to the existing bridge by limiting the vibration from traffic while the casings were vibrated into the ground. We announced the closings a day in advance on Facebook so drivers could plan their bridge crossings. We thank everyone for their patience during the closures.
Pier Two Casing
Once the casings are in place, they will be filled with a rebar cage and concrete to form a very solid base for the new bridge.
Next, we are moving east to pier three on the shoreline of Wisconsin. Those casings have been filled with rebar and concrete and it’s now time to start working on the footing. Crews have set the forms for the footing and are currently placing and tying rebar. When that’s complete the forms will be filled with concrete and the base of the pier will be in place.
Pier Four
Also, we now have a look at the completed pier four. The forms from the last concrete pour had been in place for several months until crews had a chance to remove them. That time came on August! Now piers four and five are complete, as well as the east abutment. The abutment is the concrete structure that supports the beams for end of the bridge.
The flooding did set the project back but it’s too early to tell if it will affect the new bridge opening date of late fall in 2026. With still just over two years of construction remaining there is time to make up for the delay caused by the high water.
Don’t forget to check out the project Facebook page. You do not have to be a Facebook member to check out the site. https://www.facebook.com/LansingBridge And you can get a look at what’s happening by looking at the live webcam at the project website. The website also has a lot of information about the project itself and the history of the current bridge. Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing (iowadot.gov)
Lansing Bridge Construction Project | Iowa Department of Transportation
Ferryville is a little village with a population of 193 in Southwestern Wisconsin. In 1912 the citizens received from the state a charter incorporating the community as a village. It is located on National Scenic State Highway 35 between Prairie du Chien and LaCrosse Wisconsin. We are located on the Mississippi river at mile marker 658.1 which is the river mileage distance measured from Cairo, IL. where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi. The village is at the foot of beautiful bluffs that rise some 600 feet above the mighty Mississippi. Ferryville is at rivers edge and is an excellent area for hunting, fishing and water sports. The village is proud of the slogan ‘A Sportsman’s Paradise’. Ferryville is also associated with the term ‘A Place for All Seasons’.
The entire area along with being a sportsman’s paradise is a motorcycle riders dream due to the hills, valleys, curves and just pretty scenery. Within the village is Sugar Creek Park, which has camping facilities, electric hookup, lavatories, and playground equipment. Also located within the village are boat launching facilities, which were rebuilt in the summer of 2003 and includes two Handicapped accessible ramps and docks.
We may be a small village, but we have plenty of friendly people and lots of beautiful scenery.
See Information Tab for links to Ferryville Tourism Council and Vision & Promotion Committee.
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Aug 21, 2024