Progress continues to be made on new Mississippi River Bridge construction at Lansing despite recent wet weather

For the second update in a row by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), the biggest story at the construction site of the new Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing is the rain. The storms that have hit so much of Iowa did not miss the northeast corner of the state where Kraemer North America (NA) is working to keep the project on schedule.

The excessive amount of precipitation the past several weeks has made things a little more complicated. From high water on the Mississippi River itself to wet and sloppy conditions at the construction site (see photo at far right), workers have met the challenges to move the project forward. That has included using pumps to dewater work areas. Despite these obstacles, Kraemer NA has made progress on construction of the bridge.

That progress includes getting things ready in the cofferdam on the Iowa side of the river. This structure will provide a dry work area for the contractor to build the substructure for pier one on the west shore of the Mississippi River. Sheet piles were driven deep into the ground to create the structure.

The contractor just recently finished installing tiebacks in the cofferdam (visible along the middle of the wall at left in the photo immediately below). These tiebacks are long rods that are drilled through the sheet pile and into the surrounding ground at an angle. A plate is then attached to the rod inside the cofferdam to stabilize the sheet piles and keep the crews safe.

Across the river on the Wisconsin shoreline, it’s time to build a cofferdam for pier 3. Now that the drilled shafts have been completed it’s time to pour the footing for the pier. Like the cofferdam made of sheet piles on the Iowa side, this structure will help keep the work area dry so crews can form up and build the substructure for the pier.

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