Vehicles travel across the Mason Street Bridge in downtown Green Bay July 20, 2021. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The public is getting a chance to weigh in on what a revamped Mason Street Bridge over the Fox River will look like.
Many options are being considered — from rebuilding the bridge or keeping it as it is now, to changing the elevation of the bridge or even moving the alignment south of where it is today.
“These public feedback meetings are essential for us to have a democratized idea of what community members want for our own community,” said Tarl Knight, director of Shipyard District Inc.
Some of the options take into account more than just addressing the needs of drivers.
“As a business owner, as a resident and as the director of the shipyard district, my understanding is that the collective voice of that district is interested in any of the hybrid alternatives. Where the bridge would connect much closer to the river than at Ashland Avenue,” said Knight.
“Ideally, for the community, we would rather see it come down to ground. It’s less costly overall. The maintenance is less when you have less of a bridge. There’s more accessibility, more pedestrian walking options, more bike options,” said Kelsey Holmes, WisDOT Northeast Region planning project manager.
Holmes says that would help connect downtown on each side of the river and promote growth.
“A lot of it comes down to which intersections we want to be up in the air versus down on the ground,” said Holmes.
There are other questions to consider, too.
“If we want to build on the current path that the bridge is on, or whether we want to shift it which would help with construction and closure times,” said Holmes.
All the hybrid options presented would lower the height of the bridge — some by as much as 13 feet.
Despite that, DOT officials say after a study, they determined the bridge would not have to open for ships any more than it does now.
The department says the next public information meeting won’t happen until fall 2027, when they enter the next stage of the planning phase. Information about this project can be found here.
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