BIG CHANGES FOR THIS BRIDGE. The Dewey Street bridge area in downtown Eau Claire will see significant changes in the not-so-distant future after years of planning – and plenty of pivots. (Dewey Street bridge, marked by its telltale arches, pictured.)

If you’ve driven in downtown Eau Claire in the last couple of years, you’ve probably noticed the troop of orange traffic cones on the Dewey Street bridge, steering traffic clear of a patched hole in the deck. Built in 1931, the bridge has reached the point of replacement, a project the City of Eau Claire opened up for public input earlier this year.

While the Dewey Street bridge has had restricted traffic flow due to its disrepair since Spring 2023, larger construction efforts have been put off since around 2020 due to a variety of concerns – including costliness – resulting in several rejected project bids.

Now supported by a WisDOT grant, the first public involvement meeting (PIM) for the Dewey Street bridge project was held in January this year. In the following months, proposals for the bridge’s replacement have been narrowed down further with additional feedback. Originally, the city offered four designs for the bridge itself:

Renderings for Alternative C" and "Alternative D" depicted above. (View presentation here.)

The project also includes design options for what access to the Chippewa River State Trail near the bridge could look like. Currently, the trail runs along either side of the bridge (see orange dotted line in below graphic).

Potential options for the trail – labeled “Trail Alignment Alternatives” in the map below – include keeping the trail’s location as it is now; moving the trail to the east side of the river with access to Dewey Street and Galloway Street; or aligning the trail closer to the east side of the Eau Claire River. There is also a proposed trailhead and bike amenity station, which would be located at the corner of Dewey Street and Galloway Street, and a proposed river overlook which would be located off of the bridge’s east end.

City Engineering Director Leah Ness said some public feedback preferred options that are not a good fit with the trail. “As for the cross section, we heard back from the public the need for parking on both sides with narrower drive lanes, and added or wider sidewalk space,” she added.

While the bridge is certainly due for an upgrade, Ness said the city hopes to design the new structure with a similar look to the historic original. As for the project's price tag, the construction cost estimate through the state grant was approximately $13 million, she said.

According to materials from the January meeting, construction should begin in 2027 – which will result in closed traffic from either direction to the bridge – with plans to submit a preliminary plan to WisDOT in April. A second public meeting to share updates is slated for May.

Keep up with the City of Eau Claire online to learn about future public meetings, projects, and more. View additional materials on the Dewey Street bridge project online at www.eauclairewi.gov/government/our-departments/engineering/construction-major-projects/other-major-projects/dewey-street.