$80.6M U.S. 52 Bridge between Iowa, Ill., complete; a separate $8M-plus bridge replaced this year from island in Iowa

Updated Sep 8, 2018
This new $80.6 million bridge over the Mississippi River links Savanna, Illinois, and Sabula, Iowa, was completed last year. It was open until Iowa had to close it this year to replace a different, 300-foot-long bridge nearby at the north end of Sabula Island in Iowa A ferry helped drivers avoid a 36-mile detour. The ferry service ended over the 2018 Labor Day weekend. Photo: Illinois DOTThis new $80.6 million bridge over the Mississippi River links Savanna, Illinois, and Sabula, Iowa, was completed last year. It was open until Iowa had to close it this year to replace a different, 300-foot-long bridge nearby at the north end of Sabula Island in Iowa  A ferry helped drivers avoid a 36-mile detour. The ferry service ended over the 2018 Labor Day weekend. Photo: Illinois DOT

A complementary vehicle and passenger ferry service shut down Sunday after providing an alternative transportation mode between Sabula, Iowa and Savanna, Illinois during construction of a new bridge at the north end of Subula Island, the Iowa Department of Transportation says.

The latest construction was a 300-foot bridge over the Mississippi overflow at the north end of Sabula Island in Iowa – rather than the Mississippi River channel span that connects Iowa to Illinois, which was completed just about a year ago.

The Mississippi Overflow bridge, the newest of the two bridges, is entirely on the Iowa side and was all Iowa DOT responsibility. It had an initial contract cost of slightly more than $8 Million, but the department is expecting cost overruns, according to Iowa DOT.

The $80.6 Million project last year was the Illinois DOT project for the main span, which is nearly 1,000 feet long.  This project never required a closure or detour or ferry, explains Sam Shea, a spokesman for Iowa DOT.

Kraemer North America was the prime contractor for both projects. The projects were bid separately, with completely different timelines.

The larger bridge was shut down recently during work on the Sabula Island bridge.

Bridge

Construction activities began in January 2016, with Iowa DOT as the lead agency.

The contract included removal and replacement of the existing structure and roadway improvements along the Iowa causeway. The ferry service had been started on June 12 to help travelers in the area cross the Mississippi River as an alternative to the 36-mile detour through Clinton, Iowa.

Ferry

Final costs for the ferry are not available but may be lower than anticipated because originally, it was thought the ferry would need to continue into October.

The total contracted amount was anticipated to be around $1.2 million, which allowed for the service to run into October. That amount is expected to be reduced because the ferry shut down earlier, Shea says.