One of the temporary bridge structures for stream crossings that will be available from selected Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and private facilities for use by loggers who are working on timber sales. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Through a U.S. Forest Service grant, along with a partnership with the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is soon going to be able to provide temporary bridge structures for stream crossings.

Stored at five state-owned sites and four private locations, these bridges will come in a few different sizes. Most of them will be standard sized timber mats (18 feet long by 4 feet wide by 8 inches thick), but two other sizes of mats (18 feet long by 4 feet wide by 12 inches thick, and 24 feet long by 4 feet wide by 12 inches thick) will also be available in smaller numbers. Additionally, two 30-foot trucking bridges are also available at state locations for use on state forest timber sales at those sites.

The bridges will be made available to loggers working on timber sales where temporary structures are necessary to facilitate stream crossings. They can be checked out, free of charge, for use with a signed agreement. Logging crews are responsible for picking up and dropping off the bridges at their respective storage facility.

This is the first part of the federal grant. More storage facility locations and mat numbers will be added in by March 2027. These future bridges will be stored at several county forests throughout the state, as well as at a handful of state forests.

A list of the timber bridges and their locations, along with contact information: