An Upper Iowa River bridge has been closed permanently

Winneshiek County officials had hoped two weeks ago when they closed Hutchinson Bridge on Scenic River Road that temporary repairs could be made to the bridge to keep it open.  Instead, the bridge will be closed permanently.

County Engineer Lee Bjerke says when county crews started the process of beginning the repairs to the bridge, they discovered lots of rust to the metal parts of the bridge, including to some pins that held the bridge together.  Crews took photos of the bridge and e-mailed them to the State Bridge Inspector, who ordered the bridge closed immediately.

Winneshiek County supervisors discussed the bridge closing Monday after learning the news.  The replacement of the Hutchinson Bridge is scheduled for 2021.  The project could be bumped up a year or so, but the Dahly Bridge and the Chimney Rock Bridge are scheduled to be replaced slightly before that, so county officials are worried the state might not grant an earlier construction start date.  They asked Bjerke to put together some numbers which could be presented to state officials.

Bjerke says county crews now will remove the planking from the bridge, to make absolutely sure no one crosses it.  He says despite the county putting up barricades and "bridge out" signs, motorists have been known to cross bridges that have been closed due to deteriorating conditions.  That has led the county road department to pull the planking to prevent a bridge collapse.