Blue bridge is in line to have some work done

Although it’s a handful of years away, a project is garnering attention and in need of public comment. That project, is the State Hwy. 64 bridge over the Chippewa River in Cornell, otherwise known as the “blue bridge.” Constructed in 1971, the single span, truss arch-type bridge is safe to use and should be so, for a long time. “It’s young yet,” said Stephanie Christenson, project manager with EMCS, Inc., the firm hired by the WisDOT to complete the engineering for the upcoming project. “We’re not ready to replace it, but what we’re finding, is that we need to do some repairs.” Christenson spoke about the matter, Aug. 14, with city officials, outlining the scope of work and the timeline. “We’re very early here, in the process,” said Christenson. Primarily, the focus will be on the deterioration in painting, especially along the tie girders. If the state lets the paint rust, it can lead to other failures. The guardrails also don’t meet standards, while sidewalk and curb need to be replaced. Throughout the project, the workers will maintain two lanes of traffic, which will be shifted across the bridge, as needed, during working hours only, but traffic could periodically be down to one lane. They’ll also maintain pedestrian traffic for walkers and bicyclists, for the estimated four to eight weeks to complete the work. The project is planned for 2030, but it could be as soon as 2029, depending on the availability of funding. “The construction on this is not super intensive,” said Christenson. No in-water or overhead work will be done, and they don’t anticipate interference with the hydro electric dam operation. Comments on the project are requested by Friday, Sept. 12, by emailing bill.biesmann@klengengineering.com, or mailing comments to: Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Attn.: Christena O’Brien, 718 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701. While it has yet to be determined, the bridge could be potentially eligible for the National Historic Registry, because of the rareness of truss bridges in Wisconsin. “It’s got some character,” said Christenson.