Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge
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The Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge is a bridge on the north side of
Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...
. It carries
Interstate 43 Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/ I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highway ...
over the Fox River just south of its mouth into Green Bay. Formerly known as the Tower Drive Bridge, it was renamed in 2002 "in recognition and appreciation of Leo Frigo, a civic and philanthropic leader in the Green Bay area. The bridge opened to traffic in 1981. Because of the bridge's height and slope, it is prone to being shut down during inclement weather. The bridge carries roughly 40,000 vehicles per day as of 2015.


Suicides

As the highest bridge in the Green Bay area, it has been the scene of a number of
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
attempts. On July 19, 2004, a woman was saved by a Wisconsin state trooper, who caught her before she fell to her death. The woman and the state trooper were reunited on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
''. She has since written a book, ''Why I Jumped'', on her experiences. Signs have also been added to the bridge, containing the phone number for a local
crisis hotline A crisis hotline is a phone number people can call to get immediate emergency telephone counseling, usually by trained volunteers. The first such service was founded in England in 1951 and such hotlines have existed in most major cities of the E ...
, with a
suicide barrier A suicide barrier is a structure intended to deter people from attempting suicide by deliberately jumping from a high place on a structure. Suicide barriers often consist of nets, metal screening, and fencing. Suicide barriers may be placed on tall ...
under consideration as early as 2005, but not yet implemented going into the 2020s.


Sagging

On September 24, 2013, the bridge was closed after a stretch of the bridge sagged. One pier's footings had settled . The pilings, the pier, and surrounding piers had experienced significant erosion because of the composition of the surrounding soil. The erosion caused the pilings to buckle, leading to the sag. After the incident, the pier and the bridge were fitted with sensors, which have not detected any further movement in the bridge. On January 5, 2014 the bridge was re-opened to traffic. The total cost of repairs was $8.45 million.


Notes

{{coord, 44, 32, 0.2, N, 88, 0, 27.9, W, type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures in Green Bay, Wisconsin Transportation in Green Bay, Wisconsin Road bridges in Wisconsin Bridges on the Interstate Highway System 1981 establishments in Wisconsin Tied arch bridges in the United States Bridges completed in 1981