Dresbach Bridge

Ames replaced a fracture critical bridge with a pair of new bridges on I-90 over the Mississippi River between Dresbach, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. The two cast-in-place, balanced cantilever, concrete segmental box girder bridges were opened to traffic 40 days ahead of the contracted date. Each bridge is 2,600 feet long.

The project also included:

• Reconstructing the I-90/TH 61 interchange and seven additional bridges.
• Building a temporary trestle and riprap causeway across the river’s backwaters for construction of the approach piers.
• Demolishing the existing 50-year-old I-90 bridge.

During construction, crews overcame a multitude of challenges including high river water levels, frigid winter conditions, complex staging, and river traffic. Ames, MnDOT, and WisDOT worked to limit construction impacts to vehicular traffic, recreational and commercial river navigation, and railroad transport.

Connecting both community and commerce, the bridges and interchange were designed to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce crash rates, and allow motorists to enjoy a safer scenic drive for the next 100 years.