Sturgeon Bay bridge projects

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Sturgeon Bay bridges

Sturgeon Bay bridge projects

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is planning two major bridge projects in Sturgeon Bay. The first project involves constructing a new bridge from Maple Street to Oregon Street. The second project, reconditioning the existing Michigan Street bridge, will begin once the Maple to Oregon Street bridge is completed.

Maple to Oregon Street bridge

The Maple to Oregon Street bridge will be a rolling-lift bascule girder bridge with mechanically driven center locks. In the closed position, it will provide about 24 feet of vertical clearance to ordinary high water. The bridge will be about 1,055 feet long from pier to pier.

The city of Sturgeon Bay will be constructing 160 feet of reinforced concrete slab bridge at the west approach and 240 feet at the east approach. These slab spans will accommodate a future extension of the Ahnapee Trail on the west side. The spans will also open the view towards the Michigan Street bridge, preserve the decorative concrete ferry dock, and span the soft yielding soils that made an earth embankment approach more difficult.

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The bridge approach spans will consist of two 12-foot driving lanes, two 6-foot shared lanes and two 6-foot sidewalks plus decorative railings.

Currently, the possibility of operating the Michigan Street, Maple to Oregon Street, and possibly the Bayview Bridge from one location is being evaluated. The Maple to Oregon Street bridge has been selected as the most likely site to house the bridge tender. The new bridge will be designed to accommodate remote operations of the Michigan Street bridge.

This project represents an estimated $32 million investment in northeast Wisconsin's transportation system.

Artist's rendition of the new Maple to Oregon Street Bridge.

Artist's rendition of the new Maple to Oregon Street bridge.

Artist's rendering of the new Maple to Oregon Street bridge (893 KB)

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Michigan Street bridge

The Michigan Street bridge spans the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in the central business district of Sturgeon Bay in scenic Door County. In engineering terms, the 1,420-foot bridge is comprised of a rolling-lift bascule "movable" span and 12 concrete and steel truss approach spans. The Michigan Street bridge was built in 1930.

The bridge is significant because of its central location in the city and because it is one of only two crossings at Sturgeon Bay connecting upper and lower Door County. It is also eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge rehabilitation will replace much of the operating machinery while preserving the historical integrity of the operating system. The estimated cost of rehabilitation is $13 million.

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