Relief for businesses as Watertown bridge reopens 5 months after it was supposed to
WATERTOWN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For business owners along Main Street here, the sight of cars passing over a bridge has never been so beautiful. The rebuilt bridge carrying Main Street over the Rock River reopened Thursday, nearly five months after the originally scheduled completion date.
At the eastern end of the bridge, Bismarck's Main Street Bar stayed afloat throughout the closure. Owner Craig Perschke hoped a Good Friday fish fry would help make up for some of the lost business the bar and grill has seen since the bridge closed in the fall of 2023.
"We are, but things have been tough," Perschke said. "It's been very tough, as it probably has all up and down Main Street."
The bridge was supposed to reopen last November. However, a dispute between the contractor, Waukesha-based Zenith Tech, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) over the new bridge's design significantly set back that timeline.
Perschke was among the business owners who told CBS 58 last September they weren't sure they'd survive the full closure. Perschke estimated his monthly revenue dropped by 20% during the time the bridge was out.
"Which is enough to say, 'Guess what? Now, I'm no longer breaking even or making a profit. Now, maybe I'm losing money,'" he said.
WisDOT spokesperson Michael Bie said last fall the contractor faced fines of more than $2,000 per day if it missed the project deadline. When asked Friday if Zenith Tech received any fines, Bie said the agency would have answer to that question next week.
In the meantime, he said the state was glad to the bridge finally back open.
"Bridges have spanned the Rock River on Watertown’s Main Street since 1844, providing for the movement of people, goods and services, and connecting the east and west sides of the community," Bie said in an email. "The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is pleased to have been a part of the bridge replacement project and looks forward to the new structure serving Watertown’s historic downtown for many years to come."
The Main Street Bridge in Watertown was tricky because the old bridge was connected to multiple buildings.
This particular project was tricky because the old bridge was connected to multiple buildings. The contractor and WisDOT disagreed over how to best construct a new bridge given that challenge.
Sandra Budewitz, a member of the Watertown Main Street Board, said members were relieved to finally have downtown reconnected.
"We love our bridge. It's beautiful now that it's done," she said. "It's definitely a connection; the river is very important to us."
Budewitz said the board was helping to plan a celebration of the bridge's reopening, set for May 17. She said it would include a concert at Bentzin Family Town Square, on the west end of the bridge, and include plenty of bridge crossing with pedestrians, classic car groups and more.
"We just felt divided, you know, the businesses on one side versus the businesses on the other side," she said. "So we're thrilled."
For Perschke, surviving the bridge's closure is an achievement. He said he noticed an increased sense of urgency at the construction site in recent weeks.
"I think somebody finally started getting heat, and that's why things started happening a little faster," he said. "The last month is the hardest I've seen anybody work on this bridge in two years."
However, Perschke is still working to sell the business as he eyes retirement. Until there's a sale, he said he'll embrace the challenge of drawing both local and traveling customers back to Bismarck's.
"We are open for business," he said. "And we are ready for anybody."