June 13, 2025

By Lane Kimble

In order to build a new $56 million bridge that better connects and clears up congestion in the Fox Valley, Brown County leaders need to hear from you first.

The county will hold a public hearing Wednesday, July 9 on the proposed South Bridge over the Fox River.  The four-lane structure would carry people and goods over the river about two miles south of the nearest existing bridge in De Pere.

The public hearing runs from 5-7:30 p.m. at Susie C. Altmayer Elementary School in De Pere.  People will have a chance to review displays and early bridge designs, ask questions, and register to give up to three minutes of public testimony.

Brown County’s preferred alternative is a concrete girder-style bridge with four 12-foot lanes, a concrete median, and divided sidewalks on either side.  Construction is scheduled for 2027-29, pending permits from the DNR, U.S. Coast Guard, and Army Corps of Engineers.

The bridge is a key piece of an overall $180 million “South Bridge Connector” project, which includes a new interchange, roundabouts, and roads.  Crews began work on other segments of the project this spring.  County and state leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony in May.

Gov. Tony Evers and the Legislature included $50 million in state transportation funding to pay for the bridge in the 2023-25 budget.