Recent reports about the possible destruction of the iconic Hoan Bridge turned my thoughts to two other bridges in Milwaukee: Humboldt and Kilbourn. OnMilwaukee.com broke the story about the Kilbourn Bridge closing in June 2007. Here's an update on both bridge projects:

The Humboldt Bridge over the Milwaukee River between Good Life and Bayou is heading for a redo that will start this fall. Cecilia Gilbert, permits and communications manager at the Department of Public Works tells me, "the WisDOT recently opened bids and DPW staff hasn't scheduled the pre-construction meeting with the contractor as of this date. We're expecting to hopefully start by the end of September 2008 with a completion in December 2009. The project actually is comprised of two separate bridges over the Milwaukee River and over River Boat Road."

As for the Kilbourn Bridge project Downtown, it's behind schedule, "due to extensive additional steel work required," Gilbert says, and is now targeted to open to traffic by the end of the year with final completion in spring 2009, months after early projections that said it could be fully completed in October or November this year.

The $20.9 million project includes a designated bike route with pavement markings that will designate a 6-foot bike lane between North Water Street and the west end of the bridge. The outside six feet on either side of the bridge deck grating will be treated with slip-resistant coating to accommodate bike traffic.