August 21, 2023
By Lane Kimble
MADISON, Wis. — Repairing and replacing the aging Blatnik Bridge in Superior requires a lot of money (an estimated $1.8 billion by 2028) and commitment. This week, Wisconsin and Minnesota took the crucial next step toward ensuring the money is there to actually do the work.
In a press release Monday, Gov. Tony Evers announced the two states formally applied for federal grant funding (through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) to get started on the Blatnik rebuild.
“This project is an effort that’s been years in the works, and in partnership with Minnesota, our departments of transportation are ready to take advantage of this federal funding to make the investments needed to see this project over the finish line,” Evers said in the release.
Through the 2023-25 budget, the Legislature and the governor committed about $47 million in transportation funds and authorized another $353 million in borrowing for the project. Minnesota committed comparable amounts, too, demonstrating to the U.S. Department of Transportation that the two states are prepared to proceed with work.
“From both an economic development and safety perspective, the reconstruction of the Blatnik bridge should be one of not only our region’s but our nation’s top transportation priorities,” WTBA Executive Director Steve Baas said.
“I am pleased by the leadership and partnership shown by WisDOT and MnDOT and optimistic that they have made a compelling case to Secretary Buttigieg and the U.S. DOT about the importance of this project.”
Opened in 1961, the Blatnik Bridge is a key economic driver for the Twin Ports and the Great Lakes region. About 33,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily and it allows the transport of more than $3.5 billion in American and international goods every year.
However, the bridge has many structural deficiencies and has been posted at 40 tons since 2019.
WisDOT and MnDOT anticipate revealing their preferred replacement option in October. If federal funding is secured, construction could begin in 2027.
