Welcome to The Village of Ferryville
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Congratulations to Dan Mattson, our Director of the Ferryville Department of Public Works! Being named Wastewater Operator of the Year is a great achievement. He was selected out of hundreds of operators around the State to be honored at the Wisconsin Wastewater Operators' Association conference. Way to go!
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The Ferryville Tourism Council is implementing a new program. Friends of Ferryville is a list of volunteers that the Council can count on to help with the many programs and events that are held throughout the year. Some of the programs and events are: Rummage Along the River, Eagle Day, Adopt-a-Highway, Christmas Tree Lighting, Chautauqua Events. Volunteer opportunities include – serving on committees, event photographer, providing refreshments, crafting with kids, delivery/pickup of maps & banners (RAR), setting up community center day of event, picking up trash, village beautification (painting, raking, boat landing and park cleanup), social media, etc.
For more information or to sign up, click the "Links" on the "Information" tab above, or visit the information page here: 41 https://www.vi.ferryville.wi.gov/attachment/41
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LANSING BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
10/21/2024
It’s been a while since our last update and a lot has happened so let’s get right to it! We’ll start on the east side of the Mississippi River and work our way west.
Now that the base and the footings have been poured, the contractor has started working on the top part of pier 3 on the Wisconsin shoreline. The first pour has taken place for the columns on the pier. The contractor built the rebar cages for each column, placed the forms, and then poured the concrete. When the concrete had reached its cure time the forms were removed, giving us a better look at what will be the largest pier on the Wisconsin side of the river. The contractor plans to start forming the upper half of the columns next week. When complete the pier columns will stand close to 30 feet above the top of the footing.
Pier 3 Columns
Moving west out into the Mississippi and construction of pier 2. The drilled shafts are the priority right now. These shafts are large iron tubes, or casings, that are 11.5-feet wide and are driven approximately 100-feet below the river bottom to bedrock with a large vibratory hammer. Once they hit bedrock, the contractor drills more than 20 feet into the rock to form a “rock socket”. When that is complete a large rebar cage is lowered into the casing. The casing is then filled with concrete. Filling this 11.5 foot, approximately 150-foot-deep tube is a challenge no matter where you are, but when you are out in the middle of the river it takes it to another level! The contractor had to set up two concrete pump trucks to make this happen. One of the trucks was on the shore, the other on a barge in the river. Ready-mix trucks would empty into the pump on shore. The concrete would then pump from one truck to the other and then into the drilled shaft. Two of the three shafts have been filled with the next one scheduled for approximately a week from now. When that is done the contractor will build a coffer cell around the shafts. That will give them a dry place to work and build the footing for the pier. When pier 2 is complete it will stand over 40-feet above the top of the footing!
Concrete Pumps for Drilled Shafts
Now we will move further west and a bit north to the Lansing Marina. In the coming years, the contractor will build the center span for the new bridge on barges just outside the marina. These barges will be held in place by posts, or “spuds” that will be sunk into the bottom of the riverbed. Before this can happen, the area had to be checked for the federally endangered and protected Higgins Eye mussels. Divers have been working in the river for several weeks to relocate the Higgins Eye mussels they do find and keep them safe from any of the coming construction activity.
Water Line Replacement
Our last move west takes us to the Iowa side of the river where we find out it’s not just mussels that need to be relocated to build the new bridge. The contractor is moving/replacing water lines. This will allow them to dig footings for the support structure for the end of the bridge, or abutment, in Lansing. It will also give them room to build the new retaining wall in Lansing. There will also be storm and sanitary sewer work as part of the project to reconstruct Iowa 26 north and south of the bridge, as well as improving the intersection of Iowa 26 and Iowa 9.
Don’t forget to check out the project Facebook page for regular updates. You do not have to be a Facebook member to view the page. You can also get information on the project at https://iowadot.gov/lansingbridge, including watching project progress on the live webcam. The website also has a lot of information about the project itself and the history of the current bridge. Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing (iowadot.gov)
Lansing Bridge Construction Project | Iowa Department of Transportation
Ferryville is a little village with a population of 193 in Southwestern Wisconsin. In 1912 the citizens received from the state a charter incorporating the community as a village. It is located on National Scenic State Highway 35 between Prairie du Chien and LaCrosse Wisconsin. We are located on the Mississippi river at mile marker 658.1 which is the river mileage distance measured from Cairo, IL. where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi. The village is at the foot of beautiful bluffs that rise some 600 feet above the mighty Mississippi. Ferryville is at rivers edge and is an excellent area for hunting, fishing and water sports. The village is proud of the slogan ‘A Sportsman’s Paradise’. Ferryville is also associated with the term ‘A Place for All Seasons’.
The entire area along with being a sportsman’s paradise is a motorcycle riders dream due to the hills, valleys, curves and just pretty scenery. Within the village is Sugar Creek Park, which has camping facilities, electric hookup, lavatories, and playground equipment. Also located within the village are boat launching facilities, which were rebuilt in the summer of 2003 and includes two Handicapped accessible ramps and docks.
We may be a small village, but we have plenty of friendly people and lots of beautiful scenery.
See Information Tab for links to Ferryville Tourism Council and Vision & Promotion Committee.
View Agenda from
Nov 20, 2024