Minnesota, Wisconsin seek more federal funds to replace Blatnik Bridge –

The Minnesota and Wisconsin transportation departments are submitting a second application for federal funding to replace the Blatnik Bridge.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday, Dec. 4, that more than $1 billion in federal funding is being sought through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program.

In August, MnDOT and WisDOT submitted a $1 billion application for federal funding through the U.S. DOT’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant. Both grant programs are part of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“I voted for the bipartisan infrastructure law to bring federal funding home to Wisconsin to repair our roads and replace outdated bridges — like the Blatnik Bridge,” said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in response to the latest application.

In August, Baldwin joined U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, D-Minn., and U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., and Betty McCollum, Angie Craig, Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips, D-Minn., in urging President Biden to support Minnesota and Wisconsin’s application for federal funding to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge.

“Both states have committed $400 million each for that project, and the federal funding request represents the existing funding gap,” said Pippi Mayfield, public engagement and communications director for MnDOT, the lead agency for the project. “While we are seeking the $1.08 billion to bridge that gap, we can be awarded up to that amount.”

The estimated cost for the project is $1.8 billion. Once federal funding is secured, the project will be able to proceed, Mayfield said. Depending on when the funding is available, she said the project could follow an accelerated schedule that would expedite completion of the project.

“That would mean design work would begin in 2024 and construction could begin as early as 2025,” Mayfield said.

The Blatnik Bridge is a critical connection for transportation and commerce between Minnesota and Wisconsin, Walz said.

“I’m proud to partner with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers as we urge our federal partners to support this project that will foster regional economic growth, bolster our national supply chains and strengthen the reliability of our transportation network that serves hundreds of communities between our states,” Walz said.

The Blatnik Bridge opened to traffic in 1961 and has served as a link between Duluth and Superior via Interstate 535 and U.S. Highway 53. Jointly owned by MnDOT and WisDOT, the bridge carries more than 33,000 vehicles each day and provides a connection for more than 265,000 trucks transporting nearly $4 billion in goods every year. Many businesses across the Upper Midwest rely on the bridge to access the Port of Duluth-Superior, the largest U.S. port on the Great Lakes.

However, the Blatnik Bridge has had significant structural deterioration in recent years, prompting load restrictions since 2019. The bridge can no longer carry overweight freight loads and is at risk of closure by 2030.

The planned project would tear down the existing bridge and build a new bridge in its footprint.

“For more than 60 years, the Blatnik Bridge has been a vital link for our communities and businesses,” Evers announced in a prepared statement. “But as the bridge reaches the end of its service life, its condition continues to deteriorate, and it’s time for us to exhaust every opportunity to replace this crucial connector with a safer, more efficient and more reliable structure for the next generation.

“This submittal is a major step forward for our two states, and I look forward to continuing to work with Gov. Walz and our partners in Minnesota and our federal partners to build the 21st-century infrastructure the people of our states deserve.”

Shelley Nelson is a reporter with the Duluth Media Group since 1997, and has covered Superior and Douglas County communities and government for the Duluth News Tribune from 1999 to 2006, and the Superior Telegram since 2006. Contact her at 715-395-5022 or snelson@superiortelegram.com.