DULUTH, MN — The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) opened bids for the Blatnik Bridge replacement project, and Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II was the apparent best value proposer.
MnDOT, lead agency on the project, chose the design-build process for the Blatnik Bridge project. This means MnDOT and WisDOT define the standards and general specifications expected for the bridge project and then hire a contractor to design and construct the bridge to satisfy those requirements. This process was chosen for efficient coordination between the design team and the construction team, a lower cost, and more innovative design and construction.
MnDOT often uses a best-value system for design-build projects, which combines a bidder’s technical score and price into a single adjusted score. The lowest adjusted score at project letting determines who will be awarded the contract for the project. Two contractors bid on the Blatnik project. Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II’s bid was $930 million.
The Blatnik Bridge project is the No. 1 priority project for the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation, and each state earmarked $400 million for the project. Under Governor Tim Walz, MnDOT has built 350 new bridges and rehabilitated or repaired 5,830 existing bridges since 2019. The two states received a $1.058 billion bipartisan-supported federal grant in January 2024. The project is estimated to be completed in six years. The new bridge’s expected service life is 100 years.
The High Bridge, which spans Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, opened to traffic in 1961. It was renamed Blatnik Bridge in 1971 for U.S. Representative John A. Blatnik of Minnesota and averages 33,000 vehicles a day. The condition of the Blatnik Bridge has deteriorated, and it is nearing the end of its usable life. MnDOT and WisDOT began developing the Blatnik Bridge replacement project in 2020. The two states evaluated more than 25 alternatives and narrowed the list to five for deeper review.
