AASHTO Journal - Groundbreaking Begins on $1.8B Blatnik Bridge Project

The U.S. Department of Transportation, state leaders from Wisconsin and Minnesota, and industry stakeholders recently celebrated the long-anticipated groundbreaking for the $1.8 billion Blatnik Bridge project; a structure on I-535 that connects Duluth, MN, and Superior, WI, across the St. Louis Bay.

[Above photo by Wisconsin DOT]

Construction began on a replacement structure for the 65-year-old Blatnik Bridge following the obligation in March of $1.05 billion in grant funding by USDOT.

“This project represents a strategic investment in supply chains that will reliably connect the Upper Midwest’s industrial heartland to global markets,” said Sean McMaster, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, in a statement. “[This] replacement project will unlock national economic benefits for generations to come.”

Originally opened to traffic in 1961, more than 33,000 vehicles cross the original John A. Blatnik Bridge each day, and each year, more than 265,000 trucks transporting nearly $4 billion in goods pass over the bridge.

Wisconsin and Minnesota each committed $400 million in funding to replace this aging bridge, with the federal grant originally awarded to both the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Minnesota Department of Transportation in January 2024.

“Wisconsin DOT is grateful for the remarkable coordination and advocacy from our local, state, and federal partners [as] an infrastructure project of this size and significance requires broad support and collaboration,” noted Kristina Boardman, Wisconsin DOT secretary, in a separate statement.

“And as we begin the important work in building this interstate bridge, I want to again thank the public for their support and patience as we deliver a modern, safe and efficient structure that will serve this growing region for the next 100 years,” she said.
“I’m excited to help celebrate the groundbreaking of this exciting and essential project that will serve our two states and our region for generations of future residents. This is a big deal, folks,” added Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D).

“Replacing [the] Blatnik Bridge is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will not only create thousands of jobs but will support the 21st-century needs of our people, our workforces, and our economies,” he said.

Additionally, in 2025, Gov. Evers secured HUBZone designation of Census Tract 310.01 in Douglas County to help provide local businesses with additional resources to remain competitive during the construction of the replacement bridge and to offset anticipated economic losses.

“The Blatnik Bridge is a vital link for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the broader regional economy,” added Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) in a statement. “It carries thousands of vehicles and trucks every day, moving goods, supporting commerce, and connecting communities. That’s why we need to build a bridge to last.”

“This project is one of the largest MnDOT has ever undertaken, and it’s taken a lot of coordination with state, local, federal, and tribal governments, as well as collaboration with our business, labor, and industry partners, to get us to this project milestone,” noted Nancy Daubenberger, MnDOT commissioner. “We look forward to building a new bridge that is safer and better serves our state and region.”

In June 2026, Wisconsin DOT and MnDOT began soliciting bids for the project, and, after receiving two contractor bids, awarded Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II a design-build contract to build the new bridge.

Wisconsin DOT said the final bridge design process should wrap up between late 2026 and early 2027, with phased construction beginning in 2026. Complete closure of the current Blatnik bridge for up to 56 months will take place in early 2027, with the new structure scheduled for completion in 2032.