Decades of rust and graffiti could soon be history, with continued driver safety the instigating cause. Located approximately four-fifths of a mile north of the intersection of highway S with G, the truss bridge over the Yellow River built back in 1939 will likely be coming out at its present location as of next year, to be replaced with a three span haunched concrete slab bridge. Additional right of way and rip rap is anticipated to be needed for the new bridge as well, which will be engineered to satisfy structural loading hydraulic capacity and clear width requirements. The new bridge is planned as having sill-type abutments and solid shaft pile-encased piers.

The old bridge is protected under federal regulations governing impact to historic sites, with potential inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. More decisions are required as to its fate.

Once construction on the new bridge begins next year, however, road work is estimated to take four to five months, the earliest start date being June 2024, due to in stream restrictions. A detour route will be assigned by the contractor, with the exact time frame for construction set by the contractor as based on availability.

With Ayres Associates listed as the engineering firm on the project, work would see 600 feet of work on site, including 434.5 feet of road approaches and the placement of new guardrails. The present bridge shows exposed rebar on the sides and is heavily rusted, a 40-ton posted weight limit for vehicles looking to cross.

With numerous approvals still necessary before the project can begin, more information is available at the Chippewa County website by typing “County G bridge” into the search bar, then clicking on the project information link “89020570 PI Materials 2023-03-27.”