In an increasingly common refrain, three U.S. senators from Wisconsin and Minnesota are calling for the release of federal funds to allow for the $1.8-billion replacement of the Blatnik Bridge, a key freight and commuter link between Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., to move forward.
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) wrote a joint letter March 2 to U.S. Dept of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanding final approval and release of a $1.05 billion federal grant for the project, which is scheduled to start in fall 2026.
The bridge, which dates to the early 1960s, carries Interstate 535 and serves an average of 33,000 vehicles a day traveling over St. Louis Bay. It is essential for freight movement and commercial traffic serving the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior but has fallen into poor condition with significant structural deterioration, creating serious capacity, mobility and safety concerns, the letter says.
“The folks in Minnesota and Wisconsin who are planning the reconstruction of the Blatnik Bridge have dotted their I’s and crossed their T’s. Now it’s time the president and Secretary Duffy give the final green light for this project to move forward so we can keep Wisconsinites safe and support the local economy,” Baldwin said.
The Minnesota Dept. of Transportation and the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation, which jointly own the bridge, received the commitment for federal funding in 2024 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The state agencies plan to split the remaining costs and have each set aside $400 million for the project. They submitted an amended grant agreement to USDOT in October 2025.
If federal funding continues to be withheld, the project’s cost—which includes replacing the the bridge’s structural elements and restoring it to its original operational condition—will rise significantly, according to transportation agencies.
“If the grant amendment is not signed soon and construction of the new bridge is delayed, this will cause a large increase in cost and a major shift in schedule. Inflation alone is estimated at $80 million per year for the project,” the agencies said.
In November 2025, the transportation agencies named a short list of contractors for the project: Ames Kramer Joint Venture II and Lunda Construction Company. A contractor is slated to be chosen on June 23, 2026.
The plea for the release of federal funds by lawmakers is becoming familiar as the Trump administration withholds billions of dollars from major infrastructure projects, mostly in Democratic-led states and cities.
Affected projects include the $2.1-billion Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line extension, the $1.2-billion Great Lakes Asian Carp Barrier Project in Illinois, and the $16-billion Hudson Tunnel Project (Gateway Program) in New York/New Jersey.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) said in a statement that he expects the federal funds to come through, but did not predict when.
“The Blatnik Bridge reconstruction has bipartisan support from the Wisconsin and Minnesota delegations, and I am confident the Trump administration will get this important project completed. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy understands how vital this bridge is to the Twin Ports and will work to ensure its replacement gets done,” he said.
If it is not replaced, the bridge is planned to close entirely by 2030, state officials said.
Source: www.enr.com
