DriftlessMode

DriftlessMode Scenic area of NE Iowa, SW Wisconsin and SE Minnesota that relates to the Upper Mississippi River Va

SOARING, CIRCLING, MOVING ON - A bald eagle glides in circles upriver a bit from S&S Rentals at the south end of Lansing...
09/05/2025

SOARING, CIRCLING, MOVING ON - A bald eagle glides in circles upriver a bit from S&S Rentals at the south end of Lansing, Iowa, along the great Mississippi River. It never found a reason to dive for a meal so it headed downriver.

IN THE WAKE OF PROGRESS - A barge tow pushes a load of sand under Black Hawk Bridge to a new bridge work site along the ...
08/27/2025

IN THE WAKE OF PROGRESS - A barge tow pushes a load of sand under Black Hawk Bridge to a new bridge work site along the Lansing, Iowa side of the Mississippi River.

'PIERING' EASTWARD - View from behind a draped pier of the new bridge under construction along the west bank of the Miss...
08/24/2025

'PIERING' EASTWARD - View from behind a draped pier of the new bridge under construction along the west bank of the Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa. A working barge tow moves sand downriver under the iconic Black Hawk Bridge. A completed pier can be seen over on the Wisconsin side.

IMPROVED RURAL WASTE AND RECYCLING SERVICE (THANK GOODNESS) - It’s been no secret that rural waste/recycling drop-off po...
08/22/2025

IMPROVED RURAL WASTE AND RECYCLING SERVICE (THANK GOODNESS) - It’s been no secret that rural waste/recycling drop-off points in Allamakee County, especially sites at New Albin, Lansing and Harpers Ferry, have been under par. Dave Mooney, county solid waste director and founder of the decades-old recycling service, assures residents that the rural drop-off sites are back in good order. More reason to maintain top-notch service is that the rural drop-off sites are more costly to run than the main site, said Mooney. Longtime Lansing resident John Verdon was witness Thursday to the improvement. Where a week ago no truck was on site at the old power plant drop-off site south of Lansing, this week a small truck was in place and a “nice improvement,” Verdon said. ... “and a worker was standing at the tailgate (of his vehicle) and actually took the bags out of the truck for me.” Verdon, who is the founder of Friends of Pool 9, a conservationist, reminds folks that they should not drop off garbage when a truck is not at a site — “Instead, take it to the County main site on Highway 9 east of Waukon. ***Director Mooney also added, looking to the future, he is negotiating with Decorah solid waste for a collaboration in service.

LAST POUR OF THE YEAR - The previous new bridge concrete pour was July 15. This one, on the Iowa side of the Mississippi...
08/21/2025

LAST POUR OF THE YEAR - The previous new bridge concrete pour was July 15. This one, on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River at Lansing, will be the last pour until decking commences next year. But first, the bridge must get a center span structure, said project workers on the ground. So there's still lots of work left for the rest of this year. The concrete pouring, tho, is quite a sight, being delivered by Croell cement mixers, one after the other, unloaded, then through an elaborate conveying system, moved though pipes and tubes via cranes to workers on top of the pier, where they pour layer upon layer.

LANSING BRIDGE TO CLOSE OCTOBER 15, 2025 - A few news sources are reporting via Iowa DOT Highway Division Administrator ...
08/14/2025

LANSING BRIDGE TO CLOSE OCTOBER 15, 2025 - A few news sources are reporting via Iowa DOT Highway Division Administrator Tony Gustafson that a date is set for closing the Black Hawk Bridge this fall. “When the bridge is closed on October 15th, they’ll begin demolition immediately on the existing bridge — removing the deck panels manually, but also using dynamite to demo the bridge,” he says. In the meantime, work is continuing that caused the old bridge to move (at its underwater foundation) in the past, he said. He told the Iowa Transportation Commission they have an updated schedule for opening the NEW bridge, trying to open it to one-lane traffic in March of 2027. The steel truss members of the bridge need to be painted twice with a special paint. One lane of traffic will be open while they paint the other side, and then switch the open traffic lane to paint the other side.
CASSVILLE CAR FERRY RUMORED TO BE USED AFTER FALL BRIDGE CLOSING - If that ferry service for crossing the Mississippi River between Lansing and Wisconsin is put into use, a couple things to consider: It may be an "on-demand service" where the ferry operates on a push-button system, meaning it departs when signaled at either landing. Also, the ferry will have limited capacity. The deck can reportedly hold less than a dozen cars at a time.

FIRST REASONABLY CLEAR MORNING IN MANY MOONS - After day after day of smoke and humidity clouded our NE Iowa skies, a go...
08/13/2025

FIRST REASONABLY CLEAR MORNING IN MANY MOONS - After day after day of smoke and humidity clouded our NE Iowa skies, a good bit of clarity has returned.

LIKE A PICTURE ON THE WALL - Looking through what will become an arched pier on the Iowa side of new Lansing bridge cons...
08/03/2025

LIKE A PICTURE ON THE WALL - Looking through what will become an arched pier on the Iowa side of new Lansing bridge construction, it frames a west side pier which stands next to the iconic Black Hawk Bridge — still carrying motorists across the Miss. River between Iowa and Wisconsin until closing for its demolition sometime this fall.

PEERING AT A COUPLE OF NEW PIERS - A few views of the new bridge under construction connecting Lansing, Iowa, with Wisco...
07/30/2025

PEERING AT A COUPLE OF NEW PIERS - A few views of the new bridge under construction connecting Lansing, Iowa, with Wisconsin is taking shape. These photos were made from Mount Hosmer and from Highway 26 on the west side of the Miss. River.

07/23/2025

***DRIFTLESSMODE SUPPORTS EXPLORING A CAR FERRY FOR CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT OR NEAR LANSING, IOWA (for use during the period when no bridge exists)

OLD BRIDGE DEMO, EXPLOSIVE USE, IMPLOSION, SET FOR LATE 2025/EARLY 2026 - (from a news release TODAY by the Iowa DOT “.....
07/23/2025

OLD BRIDGE DEMO, EXPLOSIVE USE, IMPLOSION, SET FOR LATE 2025/EARLY 2026 - (from a news release TODAY by the Iowa DOT “...Currently we are planning to close the old bridge this fall. That’s when our contractor, Kraemer North America, will take down the bridge so work on the new bridge can be completed. This process will involve removing strategic pieces of the bridge, including the deck. When that is completed, different methods of demolition will be used, including the use of explosives. The implosion needs to take place in late 2025/early 2026 so the bridge pieces can be removed from the river and not interfere with barge traffic.
***Despite this change of plans, we still hope to have the new bridge open to traffic by mid-2027! ... SOLUTIONS: We are also looking into ways to get people across the river without having to drive to the nearest bridge connecting Marquette, Iowa and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. A couple of the options include resuming the water taxi or establishing a car ferry...” ***The Iowa DOT will keep you updated as the process moves forward.

Address

1906 Blue Heron Lane
Lansing, IA
52151

Telephone

+5154915326

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