MnDOT Warns Blatnik Bridge Delay Would Cost At Least $400 Million More

Every day 33,000 vehicles cross the Blatnik Bridge between Duluth and Superior, and Minnesota transportation officials say that if federal grant money is not unlocked soon, the price of replacing that aging span will climb by at least $400 million before a single pylon is poured.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation issued the stark inflation warning this week, putting a dollar figure on what Washington's inaction is costing the region. MnDOT says the $1.8 billion replacement cannot move forward without the release of more than $1.05 billion in federal funds committed through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and that every month of delay compounds the damage. "The price tag to replace the Blatnik Bridge will rise by at least $400 million from inflation alone if construction does not begin this year for the five-year project," MnDOT stated.

The consequences of further delay extend well beyond a bigger construction bill. MnDOT warned that the existing bridge, which opened in 1961 and now carries some 265,000 trucks and $4 billion in goods annually, is "at major risk for service interruption or closure," and predicted the span would be forced to shut down entirely by 2030 if the replacement project stalls. The bridge is the primary overland connection to the Port of Duluth-Superior, one of the largest marine gateways for U.S.-Canada trade on the Great Lakes.

The authority to release the federal grant rests with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who notably served as a state representative for Superior's district before joining the Trump cabinet. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin each called on Duffy to act immediately. "Delays in replacing the Blatnik Bridge would be incredibly costly to Minnesota and Wisconsin," Smith said. "The administration should act swiftly to make sure this project moves forward on schedule and doesn't cost Northland taxpayers more." Klobuchar added that the U.S. Department of Transportation "must release this grant so this incredibly important project can move forward without further delay and increased costs." Baldwin argued that planners had "dotted their I's and crossed their T's" and that the White House and Duffy owed the project a final green light.

Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert echoed that urgency. "We're ready for it, let's get going, delaying is only going to make things more challenging," Reinert said.

Not everyone is sounding the alarm. Republican Congressman Pete Stauber's office told FOX21 the federal funding for the Blatnik is "not at all in jeopardy," offering a counterpoint to the pressure campaign from Democratic senators. U.S. DOT officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On the project side, work is already advancing. MnDOT has moved the Blatnik reconstruction into the request-for-proposals phase, with contractor bids due in June 2026 and construction targeted to begin in fall 2026. Once work starts, the entire bridge is slated to close to traffic in early 2027 for four to five years. Each state has earmarked a little more than $400 million, and the federal government has committed more than $1.05 billion, bringing the combined funding above $1.8 billion, which officials say should be enough to complete the project. The replacement is designed to last roughly 100 years.

Separately, Duluth secured an $11.2 million federal grant toward repairs on the Aerial Lift Bridge, part of a nearly $23 million project the city council was set to approve Monday. City leaders said the work could begin this fall and would not require a property tax increase.