Update: Mississippi River Crossing in Wabasha Reopens After Short Closure

Update: The Bridge has reopened

Wabasha, MN (KROC-AM News)- A bridge linking Minnesota and Wisconsin across the Mississippi River has closed for an unknown amount of time. 

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Officials indicate the closure is due to safety concerns on a set of railroad tracks. Law enforcement agencies on both sides of the river alerted the public to the closure around 10:00 Wednesday morning. 

The Minnesota Department of Transportation indicates the river crossing closure began around 10:30 a.m. 

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Interstate Bridge in Wabasha Closed Due to Railroad Safety Concerns on Wisconsin Side of Mississippi River

The Wabasha interstate bridge is now closed in both directions. Both the Wabasha County Sheriff’s Office and Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office say the closure stems from railroad work on the Wisconsin side of the bridge. 

“We’ve been notified by BNSF Railway that due to safety concerns with the tracks at the Hwy 25/Wabasha Dike Road crossing in Nelson, it will be closed within the next hour for repairs,” a post published on both agencies Facebook pages says. 

Officials say they were told the closure would last for a “lengthy period of time,” however they were not given a timeline. 

The closure will force a lengthy detour for motorists looking to cross the Mississippi River. 

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The nearest river crossings are in Winona, which is about 31 miles from Wabasha and Red Wing, which is also about 31 miles from Wabasha.