The Mississippi River crossing at Lansing, Wisconsin, consists of
the main channel Blackhawk Bridge, and four smaller bridges. This
page focuses on the fourth bridge from Iowa, the second on the Wisconsin
side of the crossing. Like the other smaller bridges in this
crossing, the original 1931 wooden structure was destroyed on March
18, 1945 by heavy ice. The crossing sat idle until it was purchased
by the states of Iowa and Wisconsin in 1953, the bridges rebuilt,
and opened to the public again in 1957.
The Henderson Slough bridge is about as basic as a bridge can be.
It has a dozen or so piles driven into the river, small concrete
abutments on each end, a few steel beams, and concrete deck. Even
the guard rails are nothing fancy, they are just typical guardrail
bolted to the concrete deck. The bright green paint is a very nice
touch, giving an otherwise routine bridge a splash of excitement.