The long-awaited replacement of the John A. Blatnik Bridge between Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., is officially under way as of Aug. 31, 2026, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by state and federal officials, transportation leaders and members of the project team.
The $1.815 billion project is the largest bridge reconstruction project in Wisconsin history and will replace the aging I-535 crossing over St. Louis Bay with a new structure designed to serve the Twin Ports region for generations.
More than 100 project team members, stakeholders and elected officials gathered for the ceremony, according to the Wisconsin governor's office.
The existing bridge opened in 1961 and is jointly owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). According to MnDOT, the bridge has reached the end of its service life and the replacement project will address aging infrastructure, improve safety and better accommodate oversize and overweight loads.
Design-Build Project
Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II was awarded the construction contract following a June 23 bid opening. Lunda Construction Co. also submitted a bid.
According to MnDOT, the contract was executed in July and the project is being delivered through a design-build process. Under that approach, MnDOT and WisDOT establish the general specifications for the project while the contractor is responsible for designing and constructing the bridge to meet those requirements.
The agencies selected the design-build method to improve coordination between the design and construction teams, reduce costs and encourage innovation in the project's design and construction.
MnDOT used a best-value selection process, combining technical qualifications and price into an adjusted score to determine the successful bidder.
The final bridge design is scheduled to be completed between late 2026 and early 2027, according to MnDOT. Phased construction began in 2026 and is scheduled to continue through 2031, followed by cleanup and landscaping in 2032.
Construction is expected to employ approximately 1,100 workers annually.
Major Infrastructure Investment
MnDOT graphic
The project is being funded through a combination of federal and state dollars. Wisconsin and Minnesota each committed $400 million in program funding, while the states also received more than $1 billion in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects Program.
The federal grant was announced in January 2024 after years of planning and advocacy by the two states.
The existing Blatnik Bridge is an important freight connection for the Twin Ports. According to Wisconsin officials, more than 265,000 trucks carrying nearly $4 billion in goods cross the bridge each year. The structure also provides an important connection to the Port of Duluth-Superior, the largest U.S. port on the Great Lakes.
The replacement is being designed with the region's freight needs in mind, including improved accommodation for oversize and overweight loads.
Years of Planning
The project has been more than six years in development. According to MnDOT, the agencies completed preferred alternative selection and environmental documentation between 2020 and 2024, followed by preliminary design work from 2023 through 2026.
With Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II now under contract, the project has moved from planning and preliminary design into final design and construction.
WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman called the project the largest bridge reconstruction effort in Wisconsin history.
“An infrastructure project of this size and significance requires broad support and collaboration,” Boardman said during the groundbreaking, according to the Wisconsin governor's office.
The new Blatnik Bridge is expected to open in 2031, with final cleanup and landscaping continuing into 2032.
The project represents a significant investment in the infrastructure connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin while replacing a 65-year-old bridge that has become increasingly difficult to maintain and is no longer capable of meeting the region's long-term transportation and freight needs.
