Ames-Kraemer joint venture selected for $930 million Blatnik Bridge project

Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II was the best-value proposer for the Blatnik Bridge replacement after Minnesota transportation officials put its $930 million bid at the center of the project’s next phase. The decision moved the I-535 crossing over St. Louis Bay closer to a new span and approach work on both sides of the harbor.

The bridge handles about 33,000 vehicles a day and is one of only two crossings between Duluth and Superior, making it a daily route for commuters, freight haulers and businesses tied to the Port of Duluth-Superior. The existing bridge is in poor condition, has weight restrictions and traffic safety problems, and could be forced to close by 2030 without replacement.

MnDOT is using a design-build delivery method, which puts design and construction under one contract with performance standards set by Minnesota and Wisconsin transportation officials. The package covers the main bridge replacement and approach roadways, including a redesigned interchange on the Wisconsin side. Some technical details of the proposal will remain confidential until the contract is formally awarded, a process that could take up to 60 days.

A public meeting is planned for early September, when residents will get a closer look at the design and hear more about the schedule. The new bridge is expected to last 100 years, and major construction could take roughly six years once it begins.

The bridge opened to traffic in 1961 as the High Bridge and was renamed in 1971 for former U.S. Rep. John A. Blatnik. It is Minnesota’s second-longest bridge and sits at the center of a project that has already drawn more than $1 billion in federal support, including a $1.058 billion grant in January 2024. Each state has also set aside $400 million.

Federal environmental review for the project was completed in 2024 with a final environmental assessment and supplemental finding of no significant impact, and MnDOT and WisDOT later completed an environmental assessment re-evaluation covering additional programmed improvements and design changes.