Why Do We Need Two Bridges Between Duluth + Superior Anyway?

Over a billion dollars is being spent on replacing the John A. Blatnik Bridge. Plans are being drawn up now and construction will begin in 2026. It's going to be a big headache for commuters between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. But here's a question: do we really need two bridges?

That question has been asked enough by quite a few people. Most of those are people who don't travel from Superior To Duluth or vice versa every day. I was looking for updates on how the project is progressing when I noticed a fact sheet from MNDOT where they actually address this question. Why do we need two bridges? Is there that much traffic between the two cities?

The answer is: YES! Every single day an average of 33,100 vehicles cross the Blatnik Bridge. (Locals also call this the High Bridge.)

Tens of thousands of vehicles pass between the cities each day.

The Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, upriver, is not as busy but still gets a lot of traffic. An estimated 16,100 vehicles use that bridge every day. The Bong Bridge also is the only way pedestrians can walk or bike across the St. Louis River between the communities - at least for now.

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Traffic and emergency vehicles need alternate routes.

MNDOT points out that most cities separated by a body of water have two bridges, like Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, New York, and San Francisco. It helps with traffic flow and access for emergency vehicles.

The Twin Ports needs two bridges for freight and port access.

Only loads of 40 tons or less are allowed on the aging Blatnik Bridge currently. There are significant port operations and the bases of each bridge.

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If one bridge shuts down for maintenance, the nearest crossing is 75 miles away.

There have been several times when one of the bridges has been completely closed in a direction for maintenance. Without having the other bridge, the only place for freight to cross would be the St. Croix River crossing between Hinckley and Danbury, which isn't very close. The Oliver Bridge could be used for passenger vehicles, but that's it. Trucks and large vehicles wouldn't have a way to cross without a long detour.

What happens when the Blatnik Bridge is closed for construction?

MNDOT and WISDOT are working together on the project. To help mitigate traffic issues when the Blatnik is shut down, they've come up with some temporary solutions:

• Temporary traffic lights at the Duluth base of the Bong Bridge, install temporary traffic lights at 46th Ave West and 8th Street.
• Improvements made to Winter Street and Susquehanna Avenue in Superior, including resurfacing roads, widening roads, and installing temporary traffic signals.
• Install temporary traffic signals on Winter Street and Catlin Avenue
• Lengthen left-turn lanes on Belknap Street to Tower Avenue
• Restrict left turns from Belknap Street to Northbound Ogden, and southbound Banks to improve traffic flow.

While these adjustments may help mitigate traffic issues, they are sure to still be a headache. The plan for the bridge replacement project is for it to be completely closed beginning in 2027 and be finished in 2031. The Bong Bridge is expected to reach its end of service life in 2065.