The Brief
- The southern section of the 16th Street Bridge in Milwaukee is back open following the installation of a new steel floor beam.
- The reopened stretch between Pierce and Canal has been reconfigured to one lane in each direction to better match current traffic volumes.
- Rehabilitation on the bridge’s northern section remains underway, with the entire project expected to finish and fully reopen in December 2026.
MILWAUKEE – The southern portion of the 16th Street Bridge in Milwaukee is back open to traffic now that the floor beam replacement is complete.
The emergency replacement required the bridge to close in December 2025.
December 2025 closure
The backstory:
The entire 16th Street Bridge was closed to traffic in early December 2025 after an in-depth inspection identified one floor beam showing signs of accelerated wear compared to surrounding bridge elements. Due to the level of wear, the floor beam needed immediate replacement.…