The John A. Blatnik Bridge, one of two bridges that connects Duluth, Minn., to Superior, Wis., opened to traffic in 1961 and carries I-535 over the St. Louis Bay. The Blatnik Bridge is an important freight and commercial connection between the Twin Ports.
Jointly owned and managed by MnDOT and WisDOT, it is Minnesota's second longest bridge and serves an average of 33,000 cars traveling between the two cities each day. In early 2024, the two agencies received more than $1 billion in federal funding to replace the aging bridge. Both states are also contributing funding for the project. MnDOT will lead the bridge replacement project, which will address aging infrastructure, improve safety and better accommodate oversize/overweight loads.
After more than three years of studying multiple alternatives and engaging the public for feedback, the states will construct the new bridge on the same alignment as it exists today. It will also include a shared-use path, and a new interchange into Superior will be constructed.
2024 fieldwork/traffic impacts
Crews are finishing up the installation of geotechnical pile load testing at six locations in Duluth and Superior, Wis. A crane was used at each location with a pile driving hammer. Results from this testing are used to help engineers design more efficient and cost-effective foundation systems for the new bridge. Construction of the bridge is anticipated to begin in 2026.
Work this fall includes multiple excavations of select proposed pier locations for the new bridge. Residents could see field work on Rice’s Point in Duluth and Connor’s Point in Superior. Work on the bridge approach in Superior is September-December, and traffic will be impacted by a single lane closure near the ramp from Hwy 53 to North 3rd Street and the ramp from North 3rd Street to I-535/Hwy 53.
WisDOT created a video sharing the history and future of the Blatnik Bridge.
Federal INFRA grant
MnDOT and WisDOT received word Monday, Jan. 22, that the two states received more than $1 billion in the form of the federal INFRA grant to replace the Blatnik Bridge. Since then, the Department of Transportation has released a new video talking about Blatnik Bridge and how President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is creating jobs, improving lives and creating stronger communities.
