TOWN OF FREDONIA, Wis. — A bridge closure in Waubeka that has forced drivers onto a detour for about a month shows no signs of ending soon — and a permanent solution remains years away.
In July, the Highway H bridge over the Milwaukee River closed to vehicles indefinitely due to structural issues. Ozaukee County Highway Department Commissioner Jon Edgren said the county had originally aimed to complete repairs this fall, but rising project costs have since pushed that timeline back.
WATCH: Waubeka residents and first responders react to prolonged bridge shutdown
Edgren said a temporary fix — adding more metal plates — is now more likely to be completed in spring 2027. Because of the nature of that repair, the bridge would still need to close each winter.
Edgren said crews first discovered the problems in April and initially patched the bridge with a metal plate. A follow-up inspection revealed the damage was worsening, prompting the full closure.
A permanent replacement is years further off still. State funding is on the radar, Edgren said, but remains years away.
For residents like Pamela Young, who lives south of the crossing, the detour is a manageable inconvenience.
"The people that want to come to Waubeka come to Waubeka, and otherwise they make the mile-long detour around us," Young said.
Young said she can still walk across the bridge on foot and only has to drive around when heading to the recycling center.
"I don't know for the infrastructure and the cost involved... Of course the state is going to be putting it back up eventually," Young said.
The closure carries higher stakes for the Waubeka Fire Department. The fire station sits just one block from the bridge, and Chief Jason Caswell said not all calls fall on the station's side of the river.
"It adds about four minutes for us to make our way around, to get back to the top of the hill," Caswell said. "It's a main artery for us and a lot of folks in town here, so yeah we'd like to see it opened up as quick as we can."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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