June 9, 2026

By Lane Kimble

Simply having the cheapest price won’t guarantee winning the massive Blatnik Bridge replacement project when it’s awarded later this month.

MnDOT will need to do a little extra math.

The department is currently reviewing and scoring technical proposals from the two finalist firms ahead of the letting on June 23.  Lunda Construction and a joint venture between Ames and Kraemer North America turned in their submissions earlier this month.

MnDOT will award the project based on a company’s “adjusted score,” which is the contractor’s price divided by its technical score.  The lower the adjusted score, the better.

Technical scores balance design innovation, project approach, schedule, team experience, and other criteria.

This process is part of the state’s Design-Build structure, which MnDOT selected over the standard “design-bid-build” process.  Design-Build connects contractors with engineers early on in the process, often allowing for better communication, creative solutions, and cost savings.

Work to get to this point of replacing the aging but critical Blatnik Bridge between Superior and Duluth, Minnesota goes back at least five years.  Wisconsin and Minnesota both committed $400 million toward the project in addition to more than $1 billion from the federal government.

Whichever company wins the project can enter final designs and start early construction after the contract is fully executed, likely in early September, according to MnDOT.  Plans include fully closing the old bridge during most of construction starting in 2027.