Modern Highway Photos: La Crosse to Winona

Looking east towards Wisconsin after driving through the junction with Highway 16. The guard rails of the old bridge over Chestnut Street are visible ahead (Bridge #5475, constructed in 1941). The bridge has since been demolished.

Another view of the construction. The highway east of La Crescent was last reconstructed in 1978 to improve the old four lane road constructed in 1941.

Looking east after the end of the construction zone at Shore Acres Road.

Southbound, just before the state line. Note the sign for the Sportsman's boat landing, the driveway of which still uses the original concrete road used by U.S. 61 until 1941 (for more info, see the lost highway article here). The highway here was reconstructed probably in the early 1990's as part of the replacement of the bridges over the Mississippi River. Plans for the project are missing, probably because the project was done in conjunction with the state of Wisconsin.

The Minnesota state line marker, as seen looking east from the parking lot of the Sportsman's Landing. The interstate bridge over the west channel of the Mississippi River is visible on the left. The marker was constructed in 1941 as part of roadside development along the new divided highway between the state line and La Crescent. It was originally placed on the south side of the highway, closer to the bridge, with its own small wayside rest area. It was moved to its current site when the modern interstate bridges were constructed between 1992 and 1993.

A close-up of the manufacturer's inscription on the state line marker.

The modern interstate bridges used by U.S. 61 and U.S. 14 to cross the Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, looking east from the Sportsman's Landing. The bridges were constructed between 1992 (westbound) and 1993 (eastbound) to replace the previous structure, which had been completed in 1932.