Bridges
Two Teams Shortlisted for $1.8B Blatnik Bridge Replacement
The new structure is expected to be either a tied-arch or cable-stayed design
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A team to helm the replacement of the $1.8-billion John A. Blatnik Bridge connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin is expected to be named in June of 2026.
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 commuter link between Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis.
Opened in 1961, the 7,975-ft-long bridge carries traffic on Interstate 535 across the St. Louis Bay and is jointly owned by the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation. The bridge, Minnesota’s second-longest, was originally designed for 154,000-lb loads, but its weight restrictions were reduced to 80,000 lbs in 2019, according to WisDOT. It now carries about 33,000 vehicles daily.
The new structure will be either a tied-arch or cable-stayed design, officials say. A visual quality committee has been formed to guide decisions on colors, lighting, railings, landscaping and other aesthetic elements.
In 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-build effort, which aims to address structural deficiencies, improve safety and freight mobility, and accommodate oversize and overweight vehicles.
After evaluating five alternatives, officials selected a plan that maintains the existing alignment to minimize environmental and property impacts and reduce cost and construction duration, officials say. The project is planned to add a multiuse path for pedestrians and cyclists, and a new diamond interchange on the Superior side.
Contractor selection is anticipated by June 2026, with construction expected to begin in 2027, says MnDOT spokesperson Stephanie Christensen. “It will most likely be one of those two [shortlisted firms]. Chances are very slim that something strange would happen and another party would be selected,” she says.
Preparatory work is already underway on the project that will see the bridge closed for four to five years. Crews are testing soil for hazardous materials and mapping underground utilities. In Superior, local roads are being reconfigured to accommodate traffic that will be detoured to the Richard I. Bong Bridge, a tied-arch span that will serve as the primary crossing during Blatnik’s reconstruction.
Work on the Bong Bridge includes concrete surface repairs to the bridge abutments, concrete sealer on the deck, spot painting on the main span, light pole and base replacement on the Minnesota side and on the Wisconsin on- and off-ramps, and replacement of rubber strip seal membranes at expansion joints.
The Blatnik Bridge provides connection to the Port of Duluth, the largest port on the Great Lakes and a major freight hub for both states. The replacement follows completion in October 2025 of the $500-million, five-year rebuild of the I-35/I-535/U.S. 53 interchange, known locally as the “Can of Worms," and which feeds into the port area. Project construction manager and general contractor Kraemer North America partnered with Ames Construction on that project.
Construction of the Blatnik Bridge is planned for completion in 2031.
