Wisconsin River

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The Wisconsin River is part of an historic water transportation route, first used by Native Americans and later by the French missionaries and fur traders. In the 1840's, a canal, later taken over by the Federal Government, was built connecting the Lower Wisconsin River to the upper reaches of the Fox River, providing a navigation link between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. The Upper Wisconsin River was never navigable, but was used extensively for log drives by the lumber industry.

While the Fox River was used by commercial vessels, the sandbar-choked Lower Wisconsin River was never successfully developed for navigation. Two navigation locks (Portage and Prairie du Sac) and several swing bridges remain on the Lower Wisconsin River as reminders of this period.

Baker Stewart Island East Railroad Bridge (Marathon County, Wisconsin)
Pony/through plate girder bridge over Wisconsin River on Pedestrian trail (formerly Wisconsin Central RR)
Open to pedestrians

Baker Stewart Island North Railroad Bridge (Marathon County, Wisconsin)
Quadrangular lattice through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on Canadian National RR (formerly Wisconsin Central)
Open to traffic

Black Bridge (Portage County, Wisconsin)
Parker through truss with all verticals bridge over Wisconsin River on Railroad (CN)
Open to traffic

Boom Lake Bridge (Oneida County, Wisconsin)
Built 1982
Bridge over Boom Lake on Lrd Eagle Street in Rhinelander
Open to traffic

Bridgeport Bridge (Grant County, Wisconsin)
Build 1931; Replaced 1989; Demolished 1990
Lost Pennsylvania through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on US 18 - STH 35 in Town of Wyalusing
Replaced by new bridge

Cloverland Drive Bridge (Vilas County, Wisconsin)
Built 1920
Truss bridge over Wisconsin River on Cloverland Drive
Open to traffic

CNW Bridge 334 Wisconsin River bridge at Merrimac (Sauk County, Wisconsin)
Built 1909 by Chicago & Northwestern Railway
Combination deck truss bridge over Lake Wisconsin on Wisconsin & Southern Railroad in Merrimac
Open to traffic

Colsac III Ferry (Columbia County, Wisconsin)
Privately owned, free ferry from 1844 to 1923, operated by State of Wisconsin since 1933 as a free ferry
Ferry across Wisconsin River on Wis 113
Open to traffic

Lone Rock Bridge (Richland County, Wisconsin)
Built 1932; rehabilitated 1989
Through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on WI 130/WI 133
Open to traffic

Long Lake Bridge (Richland County, Wisconsin)
Built 1932; rehabilitated 1989
Pony truss bridge over Long Lake (backwater of Wisconsin River) on WI 130/WI 133
Open to traffic

Muscoda Bascule Bridge (Grant County, Wisconsin)
Built 1929
Lost Pony/through plate girder bridge over Wisconsin River on State Highway 80
Replaced by new bridge

Prairie du Sac Abandoned Railroad Bridge (Sauk County, Wisconsin)
Abandoned pony truss bridge over Wisconsin River on Abandoned Railroad
Abandoned

WC Wisconsin River Bridge (Portage County, Wisconsin)
Built 1871
Lost Parker through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on Railroad (WC)
Replaced by a new bridge

Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Bridge at Spring Green (Sauk County, Wisconsin)
Through truss swing bridge over Wisconsin River on Wisconsin & Southern Railroad


Wisconsin Dells Railroad Bridge (Columbia County, Wisconsin)
Built 1956
Deck truss bridge over Broadway Street (WI 13/WI 16/WI 23) on Railroad in Wisconsin Dells
Open to traffic

Wisconsin River 46 Bridge (Oneida County, Wisconsin)
Built 1990
Stringer bridge over Wisconsin River 46 on Ush 8-Sth 47 in Rhinelander
Open to traffic

Wisconsin River Back Channel Bridge (Dane County, Wisconsin)
Through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on Railroad
Closed to all traffic

Wisconsin River Bridge (Iowa County, Wisconsin)
Built 1942; rehabilitated 1968
Through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on WI 130/WI 133
Open to traffic

Wisconsin River Bridge (Juneau County, Wisconsin)
Built 1954; rehabilitated 1992
Deck truss bridge over Wisconsin River on WI 82
Open to traffic

Wisconsin River Bridge (Marathon County, Wisconsin)
Built 1915
Concrete arch bridge over Wisconsin River on Eastbound US 51/WI 52 in Wausau
Open to traffic

Wisconsin River Bridge (Sauk County, Wisconsin)
Built 1949; rehabilitated 1986; Replaced 2009
Lost through truss bridge over Wisconsin River on US 14 in Spring Green
Replaced by ugly concrete eyesore