John A. Blatnik Bridge

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John A. Blatnik Bridge
Looking towards Duluth, Minnesota from Superior, Wisconsin near the Blatnik Bridge at night.
Carries	Interstate Highway 535 - U.S. 53
Crosses	Saint Louis River
Locale	Duluth, Minnesota
Maintained by	Minnesota Department of Transportation
ID number	9030
Design	Tied-arch suspension span
Total length	7975 feet (2440 m)
Opening date	1961
Maps and aerial photos

The John A. Blatnik Bridge is the bridge that carries Interstate Highway 535 and U.S. Highway 53 over the Saint Louis River, a tributary of Lake Superior, between Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The bridge is 7,975 feet long and rises up to accommodate the seaway shipping channel. It was dedicated on December 2, 1961, but was renamed for Representative John Blatnik on September 24, 1971, to commemorate Blatnik's role in making the bridge a reality. The Blatnik Bridge replaced a swinging toll bridge around the same location that carried both automobile and rail traffic.

The bridge was widened and the substructure was strengthened between 1992 and 1993 to accommodate hard shoulders. In 2008, following the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, it was discovered that the 1990's upgrades to the Blatnik Bridge had added weight beyond the load limit for gusset plates in eight locations. The bridge was reduced to two lanes until the gusset plates could be strengthened.

The Blatnik Bridge is also sometimes referred to as the "High Bridge" by the older generations, making the two major bridges connecting Duluth, MN and Superior, WI the "Bong Bridge" and the "High Bridge."