Julien Dubuque Bridge fully closed until August, free shuttle offered

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — The Julien Dubuque Bridge is closed for the next month for repairs.

More than 18,000 drivers used the U.S. Highway 20 bridge daily, according to Iowa DOT traffic data. The closure forces drivers looking to cross the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois to use the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge.

Mollie Smith, a Dubuque resident, said she used the bridge several times a week to travel to East Dubuque and Galena to shop, spend time at her family’s lake house and visit with friends.

Smith said she has no plans to visit Illinois in July.

“I’m trying to avoid it at all costs,” she said.

The highway detour is rerouting traffic to the Locust Street Connector, leading to rush hour backups extending to Highway 20.

Smith said the closure is also changing how she drives within Dubuque.

“Just to come here to the river walk, I ended up taking Asbury [Road] and kind of went that route through town rather than taking the highway. I just won’t do it,” Smith said.

While the full closure is expected to end in August, eastbound traffic from Dubuque to Illinois will not reopen until the project is finished in September. Depending on the project’s progress, Iowa DOT may enforce additional closures.

Smith said the wait will be worth it.

“We don’t need it collapsing,” she said.

Iowa DOT is offering a free shuttle between Dubuque and East Dubuque during the closure by reservation.

Pickup and drop-off locations are the Dubuque Intermodal Transportation Center and the East Dubuque Public Library. Reservations can be made by calling 563-589-4196.