Iowa officials consider ferry service at bridge closure

SABULA, Iowa (AP) - A car ferry from Iowa to Illinois could run in about a month as residents wait for the reopening of a bridge connecting the two states.

Iowa Department of Transportation officials told the Telegraph Herald that the department has found a contractor to provide ferry services from Sabula, Iowa, to Savanna, Illinois.

The February closure of a bridge north of Sabula stopped access to the U.S. 52/Illinois 64 bridge over the Mississippi River. Drivers have since been making a 36-mile (58-kilometer) detour.

Officials aim to have the new bridge open by Labor Day, said Mark Brand, a project engineer at the transportation department.

To help drivers in the meantime, officials are considering starting a car ferry, said Jim Schnoebelen, a district engineer with the transportation department. The ferry would operate during daylight hours, accommodating about 500 cars daily, he said. The service would be free to drivers.

Officials are also considering offering a passenger ferry and the transportation department providing transit along the detour route, Schnoebelen said.

Iowa and Illinois transportation officials plan to meet Friday to discuss the issue, said Sabula Mayor Troy Hansen.

Sabula officials are looking for ways to help local business owners who've seen business slow wince the bridge's closure, Hansen said. Options including using economic development money or offering no-interest loans. The issue will be discussed at an upcoming City Council meeting, he said.

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Information from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com