Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), joined state, local and federal partners to celebrate the groundbreaking of reconstruction to the John A. Blatnik Bridge between the two states.
The bridge will move forward after the U.S. Department of Transportation released more than $1 billion in promised funding, officials said. The $1.8 billion project to replace the bridge received $1.058 billion in federal funding as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act from the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant fund, through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) and National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) programs.
The highly anticipated project will replace the 60-year-old bridge that has fallen into disrepair, officials said. More than 33,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, and more than 265,000 trucks transporting nearly $4 billion in goods pass over the bridge every year. Businesses across the upper Midwest rely on the bridge to reach the Port of Duluth-Superior, the largest U.S. port on the Great Lakes.
However, the bridge now has serious capacity, mobility, and safety concerns. The funding will allow the project to replace all structural elements of the bridge and restore the bridge to its original operational condition – improving the safety, efficiency, and reliability of this key regional connection, officials said
“Sen. Baldwin and I have been proud to champion the Blatnik Bridge replacement project for years with our partners across the river in Minnesota, and I’m excited to help celebrate the groundbreaking of this exciting and essential project that will serve our two states and our region for generations of future residents. This is a big deal, folks,” Evers said. “Replacing Blatnik Bridge is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will not only create thousands of jobs but will support the 21st-century needs of our people, our workforces, and our economies.”
WisDOT and MnDOT opened bids for the project in 2026. After receiving two contractor bids, Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II was awarded the contract. The project will be built using the design-build process to ensure efficient coordination between the design team and the construction team and lower costs.
The final design of the bridge will wrap up between late 2026 and early 2027, and phased construction is slated to begin in 2026. The bridge will be completely closed for up to 56 months, starting in 2027. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2032, however, the bridge is expected to be open to traffic in 2031.