The old Claude Allouez Bridge won't have much time to be jealous of its younger replacement. Crews were on hand first thing Monday morning to start its demolition.

The new bridge, built just south of the old crossing, opened to traffic Sunday.
The old span, opened in 1933, was closed permanently on Saturday.

Demolition is expected to be completed in spring.

Project manager Mike Leitzke said workers were removing the overlay, which meant grinding asphalt and removing it by truck.

Street lights and railings also were set to be removed Monday. Some of those lights might be saved by the city, Leitzke said; the rest will be tossed.

Also this week, the operators' house also will come down, with removal and disposal of asbestos — in putty around the windows and surrounding some wiring — by a licensed professional.

Work on the substructure will begin next. Leitzke said it will be sawed into chunks and taken to an old quarry.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will save some of the old trusses to showcase in Madison, he said, as an example of how "bridges used to be built."

Plaques from the old bridge were saved as well, Leitzke said.

And crews will save part of the operators' house for a woman whose grandfather was a bridge tender years ago, he said.

Weather shouldn't be a factor in the demolition of the old bridge, he said.
All of the substructure and any work that would affect the springbed must be completed by the end of February, he said, so it doesn't conflict with spawning season.

Seven piers reaching from the east side will be saved to create a possible river walkway or fishing pier, he said.

Likely in March, crews will work on removing the roughly 300-foot overlay that extends from the east side of the bridge to George Street.

And there will be some minor roadwork in that area as crews redo Broadway at its intersection with George Street, which they couldn't do when the old bridge was open.

But he emphasized it will be minor and won't require street closures or detours.

Some storm sewer and sidewalk work also remain for next year, he said.
Currently, heading west on the new span, a roughly 30-foot portion of the right-hand lane is closed to traffic, and will remain so until sometime next week.

Crews weren't able to work on the section because of its proximity to the entrance to the old Claude Allouez, Leitzke said.

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