Industrial History: 1961 US-53+I-535 Blatnik/High Bridge over St. Louis River at Duluth+Superior

(Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges; John A. Weeks III; 3D Satellite, Birds-Eye View)

Bridge Hunter, photo provided by Hank Zaletel
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
[In the background is the swing span of the Interstate Bridge.]

MnDOT, this webpage has several construction photos

"Major reconstruction of the Blatnik bridge occurred in 1992 and 1993. The bulk of the work was to widen the bridges to add room to the shoulders, and to install a center divider. There was also a three year project to paint the bridge from end to end." [John Weeks] This is the first truss bridge that I know of where the deck was widened. The outsides of the piers seem to be lighter than the rest of the piers at the same vertical line. Was concrete added to the sides to widen them?

Josh Schield posted
Two big bridges in Duluth Mn/Superior Wi
[The tied-arch bridge in the background is the Bong Bridge.]

Bridge Hunter specifies a total length of 1,140.1'. But they must be talking about just the truss structure with its 600' long center span. John includes a photo taken from US-53 on Miller Hill that shows the bridge also crosses Howards Bay. And the bridge needs long approaches to achieve its 120' clearance. [DuluthNewsTribune]

John Weeks

While Minnesota has one entry in the National Bridge Inventory for the Blatnik Bridge, Wisconsin maintains 5 entries as follows:

NBI #B16000500050000, 2,241 Feet, Girder Span, Crosses WI-35.
NBI #B16000500020000, 697 Feet, Girder Span, Crosses Howards Pocket.
NBI #B16000500030000, 1,884 Feet, Girder Span, Crosses Soo Line Railroad.
NBI #B16000500010000, 1,140 Feet, Arch Span, Crosses Saint Louis Bay.
NBI #B16000500040000, 2,022 Feet, Girder Span, Crosses Garfield Ave.

If you add up these spans, you get 10,225 feet. This is 2,245 feet longer than what Minnesota reports in their NBI entry. Minnesota apparently does not count the bridge sections that cross WI-35 on the Superior end of the bridge. It is also possible that Minnesota recognizes a different northern endpoint for the bridge. As evidence, a photo below shows that there is landfill between the Blatnik Bridge and the Garfield Avenue Bridge. If Wisconsin considers the Garfield Avenue interchange to be part of the Blatnik Bridge, that could account for the 2,245 foot discrepancy.

[John Weeks]

Andy Brunfelt posted, cropped
Arthur M Anderson departing Duluth this past week framed under the Blatnik Bridge. August 2023.
Paul McLeete: Looks like pic was shot from the vacant lot at 24th & Minnesota Ave.
[The truss on the right is the remnant of the Interstate Bridge, the arch bridge in the background is the Bong Bridge, the silos on the right is a cement terminal and the silos on the left is the General Mills grain elevator.]

Street View, Jun 2023

David Schauer posted
Interlake's James R. Barker reverses toward the SMET/MERC coal dock in Superior as fleetmate Stewart J. Cort heads across the Superior front channel to BNSF. 12/23/2021

I learned of this bridge from a video of a boat, Federal Yukon, that went under it on its way "to CHS to load wheat." Since the video was taken from the north side, some of the scenes show the grain elevators on the south side of the river. Given that the boat has three cranes rather than an unloading conveyor, I would not have guessed it would haul wheat.

DuluthShippingNews
Federal Kumano

Just a few hours after I wrote the above text, I came across an article about the Federal Yukon. It and a sister ship, Federal Kumano, are taking loads of Durum wheat that was grown in North Dakota to Algeria where it will be milled and used to make couscous. The boat is a "salty." That is, it can go through the Welland Canal.

Christopher Rengo posted
The John G. Munson departed Duluth for the first time this Season with a load of taconite from CN Dock 6. Was a beautiful morning for a little Classic Laker action!
[Eastish Elevation]

The video at top of the Federal Yukan arriving for a load of Duram wheat from CHS to take to Algeria was May 4. On May 9, its sister ship, Federal Kumano, was back already for another load of wheat.

Jason Kahler posted
American Integrity backing into Midwest Energy in Superior today.

Photo by Ed Hollowell via Bridge Hunter, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)

Bjornberg Photography posted

Ready for the season:

A shot from on board the USCGC Hollyhock of the local workhorses here in the Twin Ports (The Great Lakes Towing Company). Left to right is North Carolina, Arkansas and Missouri. 

BjornbergPhotography.smugmug.com

Adam Bjornberg shared
[The grain elevators in the background are General Mills.]

David Schauer posted
Algoma Conveyor glides under the Blatnik Bridge on its way to Envirotech (Hallett Dock Eight) in Superior with a load of salt. 5/24/2022

Rich Pedersen posted
It is amazing how big the Paul R Tregurtha actually is. Shown here backing under the Blatnik bridge this evening on her way to MERC her size is impressive. 6/9/22

David Schauer commented on Rich's post
Nice you can see the Ryerson in the distance. The American Victory and John G. Munson were there in this 2013 view (McCarthy under bridge).

Maussman Construction posted seven photos with the comment:

In 1960, Massman completed the substructure of the new interstate bridge that connects the cities of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin.  In order to meet a tight schedule deadline, construction progressed through the majority of winters that “come early and stay late,” according to old company newsletters.  Massman built 30 piers to support a structure that rises nearly 120 feet above the water in order to accommodate the large vessels that call upon the local ports.

Now called the John A. Blatnik Bridge, the structure carries I-535 across the Saint Louis Bay, a tributary of Lake Superior.

Minnesota Department of Transportation
 | Wisconsin Department of Transportation
 | Associated General Contractors of America

Bridges Now and Then posted
Pouring concrete on the John A. Blatnik Bridge over Saint Louis Bay, between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, 1961. The Minnesota Draw swing span of the Saint Louis Bay Bridge is seen behind. (Minnesota Department of Transportation)

David Schauer posted
On the way to look up something else, I came across this interesting news blurb in the Oliver Iron Mining (U.S. Steel) employee publication Ore, Iron and Men from November 1960. Interestingly, today the Hon. James L. Oberstar will go under the Blatnik Bridge, just as it is shown doing here on September 15, 1960, as the Shenango II.

Bridges Now and Then posted
Crowds gather on the High Bridge (renamed (Blatnik Bridge) linking Superior, Wisconsin, to Duluth, Minnesota, on grand opening day, December 2, 1961. Minnesota Governor Elmer Anderson speaks at the grand opening. (Minnesota Department of Transportation)

Screenshot

Federal Kumano leaves Duluth on the evening of 5/11/2017, and Federal Yukon leaves Duluth about 24 hours later.

In 2008, an analysis of the design was done because the modifications made in the 1990s were never analyzed. They discovered that 16 gusset plates did not have an adequate safety margin. Minnesota had learned the hard way with the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis that a weak gusset plate can bring down the entire bridge. So the "16 gusset plates were strengthened by adding angle iron strengtheners or plate doublers." [John Weeks] Additional gusset plates were strengthened in 2012 and 2016. In fact, corroding gusset plates have become an ongoing maintenance issue that has helped cause MnDOT to schedule a replacement by 2028 for an estimated cost of $460m. [DuluthNewsTribune]

safe_image for Public Comment Period Begins For Blatnik Bridge Alternatives
"Plans are to come up with a final design in 2028, with a new bridge completed by 2032."

Jane Herrick posted

Let’s Play Bridge

The Blatnik Bridge spans from Duluth, MN to Superior, WI . Ships pass under the center to get to several docks back in this area of the harbor . This bridge built in 1961 is scheduled to be rebuilt starting in 2027 .

Frank Haydon: Let's Play Trivia....

Where / What is the Shortest Interstate in the United States of America 🇺🇸 ???

Shortest Interstate in the United states of America is.... Interstate I-535. Duluth Minnesota to Superior Wisconsin. The High Bridge. same as The Blatnik Bridge in this picture. 😉

Joe Fishbein posted
The main truss span of the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth has a catwalk for inspection. This is from our inspection 7 years ago. We accessed the catwalk from our Snooper (the yellow object in the distance).

Joe Fishbein posted
Another view from our inspection of the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth, 7 years ago. The intricate geometry of this truss joint was designed using slide rules and drawing boards. CAD did not exist in the late 1950s.