NORTHERN WISCONSIN (WLAK / WBZH) – Work on the Twin Ports Interchange Project will wrap up this month as Superior and Duluth officials look ahead to the Blatnik Bridge Project.

Construction work on the Twin Ports Interchange Project officially began in 2021. Minnesota Department of Transportation officials say the old interchange featured design, infrastructure and safety issues, particularly for larger trucks.

The interchange project was meant to reorganize the area where I-35, I-535, and Highway 53 meet to keep freight traffic moving on the highways rather than through the city of Duluth.

The interchange is expected to fully open by Friday, Oct. 24. Some additional cleanup and landscaping work is scheduled for next year. According to a Northern News Now report, officials attending a ceremony on Monday to celebrate the completion of construction say the Minnesota side of the border is now ready for the Blatnik Bridge Reconstruction Project.

The Blatnik Bridge represents a critical transportation corridor connecting Superior and Duluth. Transportation officials say around 33,000 cars cross the bridge each day. Construction work on the nearly $2 billion project is currently slated to begin in 2027, and will force the bridge to close for about five years.

The reconstruction project is also expected to cause numerous disruptions for residents in the area. To address those issues, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also sought to have Douglas County designated as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone. The HUBZone designation allows area businesses to bid on set aside federal contracts.

Those expected disruptions also make the completion of the Twin Ports Interchange Project a significant accomplishment. With the Blatnik Bridge closed down, officials expect the interchange to see a significant increase in traffic.

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