50 years ago: Courier Press documents Marquette-Joliet Bridge construction
The front page of the November 13, 1974, edition of the Courier Press covered the bridge’s construction.
A picture of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge construction during the early 1970’s. the picture accompanied articles that detailed the trials and tribulations the multi-year project experienced before the bridge opened.
The Marquette-Joliet Bridge is an iconic piece of Prairie du Chien’s visage, extending from Wisconsin’s heel to Iowa’s forehead. It remains one of the few passageways across the Mississippi River in southwest Wisconsin.
Fifty years ago, the bridge opened to traffic for the first time, and the Nov. 13, 1974, edition of the Courier Press provided extensive documentation of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge’s construction during the early 1970’s.
The bridge, which opened in November 1974, reportedly cost more than $7 million, with Iowa paying approximately $1.7 million and Wisconsin paying approximately $5.7 million.
Kertzman Dredging Company, of La Moille, Minn., and Midwest Dredging completed dredge work throughout the summer of 1972. Robers Dredge Company started dredging the bridge’s fill in July of 1973, which elevated Main Street several feet, according to the Press’ article.
From there, J.F. Brennan Company, Inc., of La Crosse, reportedly did $2 million in substructure work during the summer of 1973.
In July of that year, piers one, two, three, four and nine were completed, with seven and eight still waiting to begin. By that point, nearly $1 million had been paid for labor and construction expenses.
From the Courier Press: “It takes about six months to complete the large piers, which contain 2,500 cubic yards of concrete. Project engineer Dean Dempsey said, ‘There is enough cement in one of the piers to build hundreds of home basements or enough to build two small bridges, like those on an interstate.’”
The construction endured many obstacles, including encroaching muskrats that came in with the high waters in the summer of 1973. Water levels — both high and low — caused delays during the project. Cold temperatures also froze progress when Pier Six reportedly exploded in December 1972. At one point, the Courier Press reported that the Brennan Company requested an extension for their work on the project. By January 1974, the project was described as “somewhat behind schedule” by Dempsey.
The article states that repairs to the previous bridge had cost more than $350,000 in the last five years it was open. The suspension bridge opened in the early 1930’s and was dismantled in June 1975, according to the City of Marquette, Iowa, website.
In January 1974, a 10-ton limit went into effect for the suspension bridge, and purportedly Sheriff Childs and Chief Lyons struggled to prevent overweight trucks from accessing the bridge.
On the Iowa side, Marquette law enforcement encountered similar problems regulating traffic attempting to utilize the bridge.
The bridge was expected to have a positive economic impact for communities as far as 50 miles from Prairie du Chien and Marquette. At the time, the Courier Press reported that traffic was expected to increase five to eight times compared to the suspension bridge.
In November 1973, E.B. Howe was the publisher of the Courier Press, William Howe was the editor, Don Ruehlow was the associate editor, Lyman Howe, Jr. was the business manager and Gary Howe was the advertising manager.
