Turtleville Bridge replacement update

The Clinton Community Historical Society is look-ing to the public for ideas on mitigation for the historic Turtleville Iron Bridge. (CLINTON COMMUNITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FACEBOOK PHOTO)

Rock County and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) are working together on a project that involves replacing the Turtleville Iron Bridge (also known as the Lather Road Bridge) in the Town of Turtle with a modern bridge. The Turtleville Iron Bridge is a significant remnant of pre-automobile transport and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is associated with the Weinhagen Brothers, of the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company – one of the major bridge-building firms in Wisconsin in the 20th century. The bridge is a distinctive example of a pin-connected, wrought iron, overhead Pratt truss dating back to 1887 and is also recognized for its engineering excellence.

As the bridge is registered in the National Register and is being replaced, it is necessary to mitigate the adverse effect of this undertaking under Section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act. The Clinton Community Historical Society has been contacted to seek their suggestions for mitigation efforts. Additionally, the project is interested in any potential interested parties in the area who may have connections to the bridge and want to share their thoughts on mitigation efforts. Past mitigation efforts for bridge replacement have included historical markers, interpretive signs, exhibits at local historical society museums, and web content, as well as video fly-throughs and digital renderings.

This is separate from any proposal(s) to relocate the bridge.

If anyone has any suggestions, please contact the Clinton Community Historical Society at [email protected] by Sunday, Jan. 21.