-(002).webp?t=1762353479)
Two contractors, Ames Kramer Joint Venture II and Lunda Construction Co., have been shortlisted for a $1.8 billion design-build contract to replace the John A. Blatnik Bridge, a vital freight and travel link between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin.
Opened in 1961, the 7,975-foot-long bridge carries traffic on Interstate 535 across Bay St. Louis and is jointly owned by the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation. The bridge, the second longest in Minnesota, was originally designed for loads of 154,000 pounds, but its weight restrictions were reduced to 80,000 pounds in 2019, according to WisDOT. It currently transports around 33,000 vehicles per day.
The new structure will be a tied or cable-stayed arch design, officials said. A visual quality committee has been formed to guide decisions about colors, lighting, railings, landscaping and other aesthetic elements.
By early 2024, the two states secured more than $1 billion in federal funding for the project, with MnDOT and WisDOT contributing additional funds. MnDOT is leading the design and construction effort, which aims to address structural deficiencies, improve safety and freight mobility, and accommodate oversized and overweight vehicles.
After evaluating five alternatives, officials selected a plan that maintains the existing alignment to minimize environmental and property impacts and reduce the cost and duration of construction, officials said. The project envisages adding a multipurpose path for pedestrians and cyclists, and a new diamond interchange on the Superior side.
Contractor selection is scheduled for June 2026, and construction is expected to begin in 2027, says MnDOT spokeswoman Stephanie Christensen. “It will probably be one of those two [shortlisted firms]. The chances are very slim that something weird will happen and another match will be selected,” he says.
Preparatory work is already underway for the project that will involve the closure of the bridge for four or five years. Crews are testing the soil for hazardous materials and mapping underground utilities. In Superior, local roads are being reconfigured to accommodate traffic that will be diverted to the Richard I. Bong Bridge, a tied-arch span that will serve as the primary overpass during Blatnik’s reconstruction.
Work on the Bong Bridge includes repairs to the concrete surface at the bridge abutments, concrete sealer on the deck, spot painting on the main light, replacement of light poles and base on the Minnesota side and on the Wisconsin entrance and exit ramps, and replacement of rubber strip sealing membranes at the expansion joints.
The Blatnik Bridge provides a connection to the Port of Duluth, the largest port on the Great Lakes and a major cargo hub for both states. The replacement follows completion in October 2025 of the $500 million, five-year reconstruction of the I-35/I-535/US 53 interchange, known locally as the “Can of Worms,” which feeds the Port Area. Project construction manager and general contractor Kraemer North America partnered with Ames Construction on this project.
Construction of the Blatnik Bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2031.
