30 years later, Sheboygan's 8th Street Bridge remains a vital connection
The Blue Bridge over the Sheboygan River opened to traffic in 1995
SHEBOYGAN — There won't be any cake, candles or party, but an icon of the Harbor Centre will celebrate its 30th birthday this September.
The 8th Street Bridge, also known as The Blue Bridge, was constructed in 1995 for a cost of $7.3 million and was part of the Sheboygan Riverfront Revival. The 8th Street Roundabout was also constructed at the same time. The Blue Bridge is an unbalanced bascule bridge with no counterweights to aid in the lifting of the bridge. The bridge was a state-of-the-art design that was also patented by the designer.
While there has been a significant drop in the number of bridge lifts over the years, it operates everyday between 6 AM and 10 PM from May 1st through October 31st. The daily 16 hour operation are broken into two shifts. Bridge tenders, who are city employees, ensure the bridge is safe and secure for pedestrians, motor vehicles, and vessels. Duties include monitoring traffic, opening and closing the bridge, controlling lighting and signaling equipment, and performing routine maintenance. The bridge is one of 16 within the City of Sheboygan.
The bridge was designed in part to eliminate excavation in the river that was once heavily contaminated. It received the 1996 Bridge Award for Movable Spans from the American Institute of Steel Construction. Teng & Associates of Chicago designed the bridge and Lunda Construction Company of Black River Falls, Wisconsin was the General Contractor.
In 2021, there were an average of 11,200 vehicles per day traveling over the bridge. There were 13,400 per day on average ten years earlier. 2021 is the last time a traffic count was performed. According to City Engineer Kevin Jump, traffic counts are completed by Wisconsin Department of Transportation. It is the same state agency that inspects the bridge.
Looking to the future, the city could light up the bridge.
In 2022, the city was presented a quote to install color changing lights on the bridge for $208,574. The proposal from Shakespeare Lighting Design called for lighting the blue beams of the lower bridge deck with white lights. A lighted medallion or signage could also be installed on the bridge tower where the tender station is located.
While the bridge was built in 1995, there has been a bridge connecting both of the river since 1845.
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