OSHKOSH — After nearly 70 years in operation, the end may be near for Oshkosh's Jackson-Oregon Street Bridge, as the Wisconsin Department of Transit (WISDOT) recently released plans for its replacement.
WISDOT project manager Bill Bertrand explained the current bridge is nearing the end of its life and is due to be replaced.
He says his agency has created a "preferred alternative" design, a fixed bridge that he said will "provide a permanent connection from one side of the Fox River to the other."
Bertrand said the planned replacement is wider than the current bridge and will feature four lanes of car traffic, two bike lanes and six foot sidewalks. Unlike the current structure, Bertrand said the new bridge will not need to raise its spans to let boats pass, but will have a 23-foot clearance that he says is enough to "allow for a continuous connection without the need for openings."
On the southern shore of the Fox River, Greene's Pour House General Manager Dominick Reshel is excited about the prospects of the new bridge. He says his business, located between Oregon and Main streets, mere yards from the river, took a significant hit when the current bridge closed for six months in 2022. Reshel said he expects the new bridge to fuel growth for both his business and the southern side of the river in Oshkosh, though.
“As much development that’s going on in this area…this side of the river’s gonna start booming pretty soon…" said Reshel, "...with that bridge being another development, I see a future being bright for this side of the river.”
Although WISDOT has come up with a plan for the new bridge, Bertrand cautions that the project is far from completion, as the design still needs to be approved by the federal highway administration and several hurdles remain before the project can be completed. Bertrand says he hopes construction will begin sometime in 2028 and will be completed between 2029 and 2030.
