The Decatur Bridge that connects western Iowa to northeast Nebraska is closed and is not planned to reopen until the middle of September.
The bridge is being closed because of a multimillion dollar construction project to repair and paint the bridge. The extended closure will likely impact many truck drivers’ routes in the area.
This is the exact location of the closure:
Nebraska DOT announced, “The Missouri River bridge in Decatur will be closed to ALL traffic for 28 days, from August 14th to September 11th. The detour is 74 miles – plan ahead!”
A 74 mile detour could cause quite the strain for drivers that are unaware of the closure – drivers aren’t simply being detoured around the corner. Traffic will be detoured using U.S. 75, Interstate 129, 1-29 and Highway 175 in Iowa. Whether going north or south, this route is expected to cause at least a 2-hour trip delay.
This is a map that shows the detour:
Nebraska DOT also commented that they chose the least disruptive time to close the bridge. They chose this time period in order to avoid planting and harvesting seasons.
If you have questions regarding this closure please contact the District 3 Office at, (402) 370 – 3470.
You can also visit Nebraska 511 Travelers Info here.