GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge, or the Main Street Bridge, was stuck in the open position a couple of times Wednesday, forcing drivers to find a different way over the Fox River.
And it isn’t the first time this has happened.
Green Bay Public Works Director Steve Grenier tells FOX 11 there were electrical spikes coming into the bridge tender house, tripping breakers in the control equipment. The city isn’t sure of a cause but has asked Wisconsin Public Service to help investigate.
When FOX 11 posted on its Facebook page that the bridge was stuck open, it was filled with comments like ‘there is always a problem with that bridge’, ‘what else is new’, and ‘again’.
“Would you rely on a laptop computer that you bought in 1998 right now?” said Grenier while explaining the automation associated with the bridge, which opened in 1998.
Grenier says a variety of issues have caused the bridge to be stuck over the years. He says most of the recent problems were with control software that was replaced in the last two to three years.
“I don’t want to say there was a wire in the wrong spot, but that’s the best analogy I can make until we had everything debugged with the new control software.”
Grenier understands the frustration for drivers but wants people to put the issues into perspective.
“I’m not concerned with it and I’ve heard people tell me it’s a problematic bridge, but when you consider that we make more than 400 lifts with that bridge a year, if it goes out of service three times in the year out of 400 lifts, that’s a pretty small number.”
Grenier says a majority of the lifts for commercial traffic is for a tug-boat company, which is based under the Mason Street Bridge.
He says the company is looking at relocating north of the Nitschke Bridge, which would eliminate a large chunk of the times both the Main and Walnut Street Bridges have to open.
