An expansion joint of the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge in Green Bay is seen March 25, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation wants to reassure motorists the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge is safe to drive on after a citizen’s Facebook post raised questions.
The post shows two pictures of different parts of the bridge. One picture looks normal, and the other, with a gap, likely appears concerning to someone without education on bridge engineering.
However, DOT officials say both parts of the bridge look as they should and there is nothing for drivers to worry about.
“Recent photos circulating online have caused unnecessary alarm by appearing to show serious deterioration. WisDOT wants to set the record straight,” a news release states.
“One is at a joint where the bridge is allowed, with our temperature ranges, to contract and expand,” said Jason Lahm, a unit supervisor for the DOT’s Bureau of Structures. “That is the one with the gap. The other one is just spanned over. It’s just holding up the deck.”
One widely shared photo does not depict an expansion joint. It shows a standard structural framing connection area that is in good condition.
The second photo captures a failing concrete patch at an expansion joint. The visible cracking and spalling is localized patch deterioration — common at joints exposed to Wisconsin’s harsh weather, water infiltration and deicing salts. This is not a failure of the bridge’s structural components and does not impact the structural capacity of the bridge.
All bridges in Wisconsin are inspected at least once every two years, according to the DOT. Leo Frigo’s last inspection was in September 2024.
The DOT release states this wear on the bridge was identified and documented in the 2023 bridge inspection report.
“It is routinely tracked during inspections and represents anticipated maintenance for a bridge of this age and environment — not an emergency or hidden defect,” the DOT said. “A comprehensive rehabilitation project to repair the bridge deck and joints is already scheduled for 2030, which will permanently address these conditions.”
“We look at the deterioration of that steel that is exposed, and it hasn’t moved hardly any in the last six to eight years after we repaired those joints,” said Lahm.
The DOT emphasized the Leo Frigo is structurally sound and serves thousands of drivers every day without issue. Officials offered these key facts:
- The bridge is fully open with no load restrictions or safety concerns
- Routine inspections caught and continue to monitor the minor joint patch issues
- A planned 2029/2030 rehab project on the bridge will fully restore the deck and expansion joints
- No immediate repairs are needed, as the observed conditions do not affect the bridge’s integrity
The bridge gained national attention on Sept. 25, 2013, when early morning drivers reported a significant dip in the road on the eastbound part of the bridge. State officials blamed the dip on a support pier settling a little more than two feet.
The bridge was closed for four months as $15 million worth of repairs were completed and monitoring equipment was installed to track potential future corrosion.
are not from the support pier that settled in 2013.
One year ago, a report from the National Transportation Safety Board listed Leo Frigo as one of 68 bridges in the country — and the only one in Wisconsin — over navigable waterways frequented by ocean-going vessels that has an owner likely unaware of the bridge’s risk of collapse if it were struck. The report was part of the investigation into the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, which killed six construction workers after a ship struck the bridge.
“Today’s report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse,” the NTSB said at the time of the report’s release. “The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials] acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold.”
In response to that report, DOT officials noted the report did not signify any new risks and the ship that struck the Baltimore bridge was much larger than any ship that is capable of entering the port of Green Bay.
Leo Frigo, which spans about a mile and a half across the Fox River, has a clearance of roughly 120 feet, making it Green Bay’s tallest bridge.
WisDOT said travelers who notice anything unusual on any bridge are always encouraged to report it to authorities.
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