UPDATE: Washout on highway shuts down Mississippi River bridge at Lansing

One dead as road collapses under vehicle.

UPDATE: It could take several days to repair the washout that closed down Hwy. 82, linking Wisconsin and Iowa – a sinkhole that claimed the life of 59-year-old James Walleser.

The Lansing, Iowa, native died Tuesday morning, as he left a bridge on Hwy. 82 and drove his Jeep into a sinkhole, where the road had collapsed.

Search crews recovered Walleser’s body about four hours after the accident.

The washout occurred .5 miles west of Wisconsin Hwy. 35.  

While the road linking Lansing and De Soto is closed for repairs, drivers crossing the Mississippi will have to detour either to the La Crosse or Prairie du Chien bridges.

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ORIGINAL STORY: A 10-foot deep hole that has opened up on a highway from Iowa to Wisconsin has effectively shut down the Mississippi River bridge at Lansing for now.  

The giant sinkhole at a small bridge on highway 82 between highway 35 and the Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing opened up early this morning, swallowing a car and leading to one fatality.  

The Crawford County Sheriff’s office says 59-year-old James Walleser from Lansing was on his way to work at about 4:20 Tuesday morning when the road gave out underneath his Jeep.

Emergency crews retrieved Walleser’s Jeep which was completely submerged in water when they arrived.  Walleser was found inside and pronounced dead at the scene.

The damage closed the highway, which is the only road to the Lansing bridge from Wisconsin, rendering the bridge essentially useless for now.  

High water on the Mississippi appears to get the blame for the sinkhole.  

Repairs begain on the road immediately but it will remain closed until further notice.  

Earlier reports suggested that it could reopen again as soon as this weekend.