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Wisconsin Street bridge to close July 6 for shortened reconstruction project
Summary
Mayor Huddlestun announced a tentative closure of the Wisconsin Street bridge beginning July 6, 2026. An engineering reanalysis removed the need to replace the approaches, shortening the project from about 18 months to an estimated four months and reducing cost.
Mayor Huddlestun announced at the May 6 meeting of the Hobart Common Council that the Wisconsin Street bridge is tentatively scheduled to close July 6, 2026, for replacement of the bridge structure.
Mayor Huddlestun said the City asked the engineering firm to reanalyze hydraulics after repeated 100‑year flood events showed water cresting over the approaches. That reanalysis concluded the bridge structure must be replaced but that the north and south approaches can remain as-is and be repaved rather than rebuilt, which reduced the projected construction timeline from roughly 18 months to about four months and lowered the estimated cost to the City.
City Engineer Alex Metz told the council that bridge drawings and design details are available in his office and that the final construction schedule will be shared as the contractor and traffic plans are finalized. Metz said the repaved approaches will preserve sidewalks across the bridge span.
The mayor also reported the City recently received a CCMG grant and moved from a Bronze to Silver Clean Cities rating, steps he said will support future infrastructure and sustainability efforts. No final construction contract was presented at the meeting; council members did not vote on the bridge project at this session.
Next steps include final design, contractor selection and public notifications about detours and pedestrian access during the closure.
