The John A. Blatnik Bridge, one of two bridges that connects Duluth, Minn., to Superior, Wis., opened to traffic in 1961 and carries I-535 over the St. Louis Bay. The Blatnik Bridge is an important freight and commercial connection between the Twin Ports.
Jointly owned and managed by MnDOT and WisDOT, it is Minnesota's second longest bridge and serves an average of 33,000 cars traveling between the two cities each day. In early 2024, the two agencies received more than $1 billion in federal funding to replace the aging bridge. Both states are also contributing funding for the project. MnDOT will lead the bridge replacement project, which will address aging infrastructure, improve safety and better accommodate oversize/overweight loads.
Blatnik Bridge renderings
A rendering of the new main span.
During the Aug. 12 public meeting, MnDOT and WisDOT shared artist renderings of what the new Blatnik Bridge will look like. Find the handout, see more renderings, watch an animated flyover of the new bridge and view the presentation slides on the Meetings page.
The Connector newsletter
August 2026, The Connector
MnDOT and WisDOT started The Connector newsletter to help you stay informed about the replacement of the Blatnik Bridge. This newsletter is intended to share more about the historic structure, the ins and outs of a construction project of this magnitude, public events and much more.
Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture is contractor on project
After more than six years of planning, MnDOT and WisDOT opened bids for the Blatnik Bridge replacement project on June 23, and Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II was awarded the contract.
MnDOT, lead agency on the project, chose the design-build process for the project. This means MnDOT and WisDOT define the general specifications expected for the bridge project and then hire a contractor to design and construct the bridge to satisfy those requirements. This process was chosen for efficient coordination between the design team and the construction team, a lower cost and more innovative design and construction.
MnDOT often uses a best-value system for design-build projects, which combines a bidder’s technical score and price into a single adjusted score. The lowest adjusted score at project letting determines who will be awarded the contract for the project.
Two contractors bid on the Blatnik project - Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II and Lunda Construction Co. The contract between AKJV and the two states was executed in July.
