High-rise span. The Duluth-Superior bridge replaced an 1890s swing bridge that stalled truck and auto traffic whenever ships needed enteer or leave the harbor. It rises 120 feet to clear transoceanic freighters that have come up the Great Lakes to Duluth and Superior.
Structurally weak at age 60-plus: End of life 2030
ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a joint grant application, governors Tim Walz of Minnesota and Tony Evers of Wisconsin asked for $1 billion in federal funds to rebuild the 60-year-old Blatnik bridge connecting Duluth and Superior. The two states already have put $800 million. The grant would come from the 2022 Biden Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The 1-1/2 mile bridge is nearing the end of its serviceable life. Structural deterioration has forced load restrictions with an anticipated closure in 2030. The bridge It connects Interstate 35 and U.S. 53 and carries 33,000 vehicles a day.