Lansing Ferry begins service across the Mississippi River

LANSING, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation launched a free car ferry service on Monday to cross the Mississippi River.

Iowa Department of Transportation cameras showed cars were lined up for the service Monday morning.

The ferry can hold around 12 cars.

The ferry replaces the Black Hawk Bridge, which closed earlier this month.

Ferries are open seven days a week. Service starts at 5:45 a.m. on the Iowa side, with the last departure at 9:15 p.m.

The trip across the river will take about 15 minutes each way.

The ferry can carry cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians, along with two-axles trucks under 10 tons. It won’t carry trailers, ATVs, UTVs, RVs, buses, or farm equipment.

Iowa DOT said it’s prioritizing commuter traffic during peak hours, from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Service hours on holidays, including Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The closest bridge to cross from Iowa into Wisconsin is 30 miles away between Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and Marquette, Iowa. The next closest bridge is to the north, between La Crosse, Wisconsin and La Crescent, Minnesota.

More information on the ferry can be found on the Iowa DOT website.