According to officials from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), the Blatnik Bridge Reconstruction Project is now fully funded.
The project has received federal funding worth $1.05 billion to push the project along.
“We’ve achieved a number of milestones with our project. One, we’re fully funded. Number two, we completed our environmental document process with a finding of no significant impact, which that process solidifies our preferred alternative. So now we know where we’re going to build the project. And then the other big milestone is we’ve made the decision that we’re going to use Design-Build as a delivery method,” said MnDOT District Engineer Duane Hill.
The first step now is to choose a design for the bridge. According to officials, they plan to award a contract in the middle of 2026 which will set major construction to begin in 2027.
The bridge is expected to be closed for five years. During that time, traffic will be re-routed to the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge.
The estimated total cost, including design and construction, is $1.8 billion.
“I think that was really encouraging to see the two states working together and the amount of involvement the public still has. It’s a necessary plan, and I think it’s a good plan. There’s not an easy way to build that big of a bridge,” said Douglas County Board member Dennis Cummings. “The project isn’t going to start tomorrow, but there’s been a lot of lead time in the planning and the processing and the opportunities for people to get involved.”
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Source: WDIO.com, Northern News Now
