Red Wing Crews Working Constantly To Beat Rising River

RED WIND, MN — Construction crews building the new Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge in Red Wing will be working 24 hours a day to set tub girders to complete the work in advance of the forecasted rising Mississippi River levels, according to the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation.

Zenith Tech, Inc., the project contractor, will be working 24-hour shifts on the Red Wing Bridge project. Crews will be setting tub girders for pier 2 (the Mississippi River navigation channel) and pier 3 (Wisconsin side). Work shifts are planned Monday through Friday but weekend work could be added depending on progress and weather.

The work is not expected to affect Highway 63 traffic using the river bridge, according to a news release.

The National Weather Service is forecasting high water levels in the near future with melting snow and forecasted rain. Tub girder deliveries are coming from Veritas Steel in Eau Claire, where they were manufactured.

The Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge project includes building a new bridge to replace the Highway 63/Eisenhower Bridge, replacing the historic slip ramp Highway 63 Bridge over Highway 61, reconstructing approach roadways in Minnesota and Wisconsin, improving access to Red Wing and upgrading pedestrian and bicyclist crossings.

Zenith Tech is the prime contractor $63.4 million construction project. Traffic on the new bridge is expected by fall 2019.