Blatnik Bridge Repairs To Begin Aug. 22

On average, 22,800 drivers cross the Blatnik Bridge on their way to Duluth or Superior each day, but traffic to Superior will be restricted for two months while repairs are made.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is the lead on the bridge repair project. Ed Lutgen with MnDOT’s bridge office said the 55 year-old bridge needs extra supports for 23 gusset plates that connect steel beams.

“The bridge is still safe,” Lutgen said. “It still can carry all the loads it needs to carry. It’s just that some of the areas need some strengthening because it is older and it is deteriorating.”

The added steel supports will help avoid future restrictions for trucks with overweight permits, he said. The repairs will also address a fraying suspension cable and include pavement work.

MnDOT spokeswoman Beth Petrowske said work was originally slated to begin Monday, Aug. 15.

“However, after some communications with city officials and the planners of the Tall Ships Festival, we decided that we would consult with our contractor and see if we could extend the project start date until Aug. 22,” she said.

The Duluth Tall Ships festival features replica ships from as far back as the 16th century. Around 250,000 people visited Duluth to see the ships in 2010 and 2013. Bridge repairs will begin after the festival.

One Duluth-bound lane and both Superior-bound lanes will be closed beginning Aug. 22 for about four weeks. In the second phase of the project, both Duluth-bound lanes will be closed with one Superior-bound lane open to traffic until Oct. 21.

Wisconsin will share the cost of the roughly $1.9 million project.