MnDOT: Blatnik Bridge replacement delay would add at least $400M to project

DULUTH, Minn. – The price tag to replace the Blatnik Bridge will rise by at least $400 million from inflation alone if construction does not begin this year for the five-year project, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

MnDOT said it can’t begin construction without $1.8 billion in federal grants that were approved in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill during the Biden administration in 2024.

Northland Democratic congressional leaders are demanding Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sign off on the grant to avoid a costly delay.

Republican Congressman Pete Stauber’s office told FOX 21 the federal funding for the Blatnik is “not at all in jeopardy.”

As the waiting game continues, MnDOT released a statement saying in part:

“The Blatnik Bridge project is the No. 1 priority project for the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation and will continue to be until its construction. The existing Blatnik Bridge is at major risk for service interruption or closure, and if the project does not move forward, the bridge is predicted to be closed in 2030 due to its condition.”