Sturgeon Bay Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Sturgeon Bay Bridge is a historic bridge
in Sturgeon Bay
, Wisconsin
, United States
. The bridge was built in 1930 and carried Michigan Street, which was signed as Wisconsin Business Highway 42/57. The Sturgeon Bay Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on January 17, 2008. In September 2008, the bridge was closed to through traffic due to structural problems and the opening of the nearby Maple and Oregon Street Bridge.
railroad line across the bay. It carried Wisconsin Highway 42 and Wisconsin Highway 57 until the Bay View Bridge was built in 1978, at which point the two highways were rerouted onto that bridge to bypass Sturgeon Bay. The Sturgeon Bay Bridge did not carry a state highway again until 2003, when Wisconsin Business Highway 42/57 was designated and routed onto the bridge.
The Sturgeon Bay Bridge underwent a major rehabilitatation in 1979. By the 1990s, the bridge became notorious for needing maintenance; a Wisconsin Department of Transportation
spokesman said in 1999 that "we have been maintaining this bridge since it was built". The bridge was closed several times for repairs in the late 1990s, and the state began to look at plans to replace the bridge. The state's plans prompted the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation to list the bridge as one of the ten most endangered sites in Wisconsin. In 2002, the city of Sturgeon Bay and the state of Wisconsin agreed to build a second bridge in downtown Sturgeon Bay to avoid traffic congestion and cutting off northern Door County
if the Michigan Street Bridge closed for repairs. The state agreed to designate the original bridge as a state business highway in 2003, allowing the state to construct and own a replacement bridge and marking another step toward the construction of a second bridge. After a city referendum in 2005, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
signed a bill to fund a second downtown bridge, and construction soon began on a bridge connecting Maple and Oregon streets.
Due to the uncertain fate of the Sturgeon Bay Bridge, a historic preservation
ist group called Citizens for Our Bridge formed to protect the bridge and secure funding for its restoration. The group sponsored a benefit concert
, the Steel Bridge Songfest, in 2005; the concert was headlined by Jackson Browne
and Green Bay
native Pat MacDonald. Citizens for Our Bridge has held the concert annually since 2005; the 2009 concert will include 150 performers, including Jane Wiedlin
, James McMurtry
, Freedy Johnston
, Victor DeLorenzo
, and Louise Goffin
.
While the second bridge was being built, the Sturgeon Bay Bridge continued to fall into disrepair, and maintenance became urgently needed. A 2007 bridge inspection assessed the bridge as structurally deficient, mainly due to its poor superstructure and substructure. In July 2008, the bridge was closed to all traffic for two days because of structural problems; once it reopened, it still only carried light traffic, and a bridge tender and law enforcement rigidly enforced the weight limit. Once the Maple and Oregon Street Bridge opened on September 22, the Sturgeon Bay Bridge closed to all traffic again so repair work could be done. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans to restore the bridge due to its historic significance despite the opening of the second bridge.
In December 2010 the bridge was reopened to foot and vehicle traffic. The bridge has been re-opened to foot and vehicle traffic after being painted in spring 2011. Newer features to the bridge include LED lights, traffic signals, and CCTV cameras.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
in Sturgeon Bay
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,437 at the 2000 census. It is located at the natural end of Sturgeon Bay, although the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was built across the remainder of the Door Peninsula.-Geography:Sturgeon Bay is...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The bridge was built in 1930 and carried Michigan Street, which was signed as Wisconsin Business Highway 42/57. The Sturgeon Bay Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 17, 2008. In September 2008, the bridge was closed to through traffic due to structural problems and the opening of the nearby Maple and Oregon Street Bridge.
History
The Sturgeon Bay Bridge opened in 1930. At the time of its opening, it was the second bridge in Sturgeon Bay, the first being the tool bridge to the north that also carried the Ahnapee and WesternAhnapee and Western Railway
The Ahnapee and Western Railway was a common carrier short line railroad located in northeastern Wisconsin.The railroad ran from a connection with the Kewaunee, Green Bay and Western Railroad at Casco Junction to the lakeshore terminals of Algoma in Kewaunee County and Sturgeon Bay in the "Door...
railroad line across the bay. It carried Wisconsin Highway 42 and Wisconsin Highway 57 until the Bay View Bridge was built in 1978, at which point the two highways were rerouted onto that bridge to bypass Sturgeon Bay. The Sturgeon Bay Bridge did not carry a state highway again until 2003, when Wisconsin Business Highway 42/57 was designated and routed onto the bridge.
The Sturgeon Bay Bridge underwent a major rehabilitatation in 1979. By the 1990s, the bridge became notorious for needing maintenance; a Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
spokesman said in 1999 that "we have been maintaining this bridge since it was built". The bridge was closed several times for repairs in the late 1990s, and the state began to look at plans to replace the bridge. The state's plans prompted the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation to list the bridge as one of the ten most endangered sites in Wisconsin. In 2002, the city of Sturgeon Bay and the state of Wisconsin agreed to build a second bridge in downtown Sturgeon Bay to avoid traffic congestion and cutting off northern Door County
Door County, Wisconsin
Door County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 27,961. Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay. Door County is a popular vacation and tourist destination, especially for residents of Wisconsin and Illinois....
if the Michigan Street Bridge closed for repairs. The state agreed to designate the original bridge as a state business highway in 2003, allowing the state to construct and own a replacement bridge and marking another step toward the construction of a second bridge. After a city referendum in 2005, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
Jim Doyle
James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...
signed a bill to fund a second downtown bridge, and construction soon began on a bridge connecting Maple and Oregon streets.
Due to the uncertain fate of the Sturgeon Bay Bridge, a historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
ist group called Citizens for Our Bridge formed to protect the bridge and secure funding for its restoration. The group sponsored a benefit concert
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
, the Steel Bridge Songfest, in 2005; the concert was headlined by Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
and Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
native Pat MacDonald. Citizens for Our Bridge has held the concert annually since 2005; the 2009 concert will include 150 performers, including Jane Wiedlin
Jane Wiedlin
Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go's.-Early life:...
, James McMurtry
James McMurtry
James McMurtry is a Texas rock/Texas Country singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader and occasional actor...
, Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.Having scored several minor hits since the early 1990s, Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment...
, Victor DeLorenzo
Victor DeLorenzo
Victor DeLorenzo was born on October 25, 1954, and is best known as the drummer for the folk-punk band the Violent Femmes.He grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and has lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since. He has been a drummer since the age of sixteen, but an actor since the age of five...
, and Louise Goffin
Louise Goffin
Louise Lynn Goffin is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Signed by record executive Lenny Waronker to Dreamworks in 1999, Louise released her critically acclaimed CD Sometimes a Circle on Dreamworks in 2002...
.
While the second bridge was being built, the Sturgeon Bay Bridge continued to fall into disrepair, and maintenance became urgently needed. A 2007 bridge inspection assessed the bridge as structurally deficient, mainly due to its poor superstructure and substructure. In July 2008, the bridge was closed to all traffic for two days because of structural problems; once it reopened, it still only carried light traffic, and a bridge tender and law enforcement rigidly enforced the weight limit. Once the Maple and Oregon Street Bridge opened on September 22, the Sturgeon Bay Bridge closed to all traffic again so repair work could be done. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans to restore the bridge due to its historic significance despite the opening of the second bridge.
In December 2010 the bridge was reopened to foot and vehicle traffic. The bridge has been re-opened to foot and vehicle traffic after being painted in spring 2011. Newer features to the bridge include LED lights, traffic signals, and CCTV cameras.