Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge
Leo Frigo Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 44°32′0.2″N 88°0′27.9″W / 44.533389°N 88.007750°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of  I-43 |
| Crosses | Fox River |
| Locale | Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Official name | Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge |
| Maintained by | Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) |
| Next downstream | Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Tied-arch bridge |
| Total length | 1.51 mi (2,430.1 m) |
| Width | 80.1 ft (24.4 m)[1] |
| Height | 203 ft (61.9 m) |
| Longest span | 450.2 ft (137.2 m) |
| Clearance below | 120 ft (36.6 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1981 |
| Closed | September 25, 2013 - January 5, 2014 (temporary) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 34900 (in 2006)[2] |
| Location | |
 | |
The Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge is a bridge on the north side of Green Bay, Wisconsin. It carries Interstate 43 over the Fox River just south of its mouth into Green Bay. Formerly known as the Tower Drive Bridge, it was renamed in 2002[3] "in recognition and appreciation of Leo Frigo,[4] a civic and philanthropic leader in the Green Bay area.[3] The bridge opened to traffic in 1981.[5] Because of the bridge's height and slope, it is prone to being shut down during inclement weather. The bridge carries roughly 40,000 vehicles per day as of 2015.[6]
Suicides
[edit]As the highest bridge in the Green Bay area, it has been the scene of a number of suicide attempts. On July 19, 2004, a woman was saved by a Wisconsin state trooper, who caught her before she fell to her death.[7] The woman and the state trooper were reunited on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has since written a book, Why I Jumped, on her experiences.[8] Signs have also been added to the bridge, containing the phone number for a local crisis hotline, with a suicide barrier under consideration as early as 2005, but not yet implemented going into the 2020s.[9]
Sagging
[edit]On September 24, 2013, the bridge was closed after a 400-foot (120 m) stretch of the bridge sagged.[10] One pier's footings had settled two feet (0.61 m).[11] The pilings, the pier, and surrounding piers had experienced significant corrosion because of the composition of the surrounding soil. The corrosion caused the pilings to buckle, leading to the sag. After the incident, the pier and the bridge were repaired and further fitted with sensors, which have not detected any further movement in the bridge.[12] On January 5, 2014 the bridge was re-opened to traffic. The total cost of repairs was $8.45 million.[13]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Fox River Bridge (Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge)". Bridgehunter.com. Retrieved August 21, 2011.[self-published source]
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Official act to rename bridge". May 8, 2002. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Paul's Pantry > Our Founder Archived November 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bessert, Christopher J. "Highways 40-49". Wisconsin Highways. Self-published. Retrieved August 21, 2011.[self-published source]
- ^ Schneider, Doug. "DOT gives Leo Frigo bridge another clean bill of health". Green Bay Press Gazette. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ "Wisconsin Troopers Association: Home Page". Wi-troopers.org. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Zahn, Tina. Why I Jumped : A True Story of Postpartum Depression, Dramatic Rescue, and Return to Hope. Whyijumped.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Shockley, Christina (July 15, 2005). "Discouraging Suicide Leaps from Bridges". All Things Considered. NPR, WUWM. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Phelps, Nathan (September 25, 2013). "Long, deep pavement dip closes Leo Frigo bridge for at least 2 days". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ Staff report (September 25, 2013). "Leo Frigo Bridge Closed Indefinitely Due to Large Dip". Green Bay, WI: WBAY-TV. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ "DOT: Corrosion caused dip in Leo Frigo Bridge". Green Bay, WI: WLUK-TV. September 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ^ Schneider, Doug. "DOT gives Leo Frigo bridge another clean bill of health". Green Bay Press Gazette. Retrieved May 6, 2015.[dead link]