By Beacon Staff
The BNSF bridge in Fort Madison will be shut down for five weeks for repairs, but the closure won’t begin until after the Tri-State Rodeo.
According to the Pen City Current, the work was originally set to begin the day after Labor Day — which is the day before the Tri-State Rodeo begins. Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld found out last week about the bridge closure and reached out to BNSF with the help of Lee County Economic Development Group president Dennis Fraise to convince the railroad to wait one more week.
“We will still be closed for five weeks with a reopening date of Oct. 16,” Peter Skosey, BNSF executive director of State Government Affairs wrote in an email to Fraise and Mohrfeld. “Will continue to update if something changes and as we progress through the project.”
The Tri-State Rodeo, which typically brings in 50,000 visitors, kicks off Sept. 8, with pre-rodeo events starting Saturday, Sept. 4.