Aerial Lift Bridge In Minnesota Approved For $23 Million In Improvements

The Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota, is an iconic, historic landmark, connecting Canal Park to Park Point, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Originally built in 1905 as a transporter bridge, it was modified in 1929 into a vertical lift bridge that rises 135 feet to allow massive Great Lakes vessels to pass.

It operates 24/7 during shipping season, which usually begins around late March and runs into January, lifting roughly 4,000 times annually. Watching the bridge in action is a popular activity for over 1 million tourists every year.

Now, a significant rehabilitation project has been approved for the Aerial Lift Bridge, and work is scheduled to begin later this year.

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Nearly $23.3 Million in Funding Secured for Aerial Lift Bridge Rehabilitation

The Duluth City Council this week voted to accept an $11.2 million grant from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the rehabilitation of Duluth’s iconic Aerial Lift Bridge.

It's important to note that the nearly $23.3 million Aerial Lift Bridge rehabilitation project will come at no cost to Duluth taxpayers. It will be fully funded by the following sources:

• $11,200,000 USDOT Federal RAISE Grant
• $7,000,000 State Bridge Bonds
• $2,240,000 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) State Matching Grant
• $1,500,000 National Park Service, Historic Preservation Fund Grants
• $822,000 MNDOT ADA Grant
• $500,000 MNDOT Active Transportation Grant

“The Aerial Lift Bridge is not just any bridge – it's arguably THE most iconic bridge in all of Minnesota. It’s also a critical gateway for the shipping industry, as well as a critical transportation and utility connection to over 2,500 Duluth residents and 1,000,000 annual visitors,” said Mayor Roger Reinert.

The City engineering team has been working on securing the necessary funding for this project since 1999.

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Work That Is Scheduled To Be Done

The rehabilitation of the Aerial Lift Bridge will happen on many levels, including:

• Repainting the lift span truss, including all steel members below the roadway deck grating and those members extending to approximately six feet above the roadway deck (portions of truss within the de-icing salt spray zone)
• Repainting of the bridge’s overhead steel truss, which connects the north and south towers
• Replacement of deteriorated sections of the lift span roadway deck grating
• Miscellaneous structural steel repairs to the overhead truss, lift span truss, and roadway support members to restore section loss from corrosion
• Repairs to spalled and delaminated concrete on the bridge end abutments and tower column support pedestals
• Replacement of the bridge sidewalks and support steel on both sides of the bridge.

"The bridge’s lift span is approaching 100 years old, and this work will ensure the Aerial Lift Bridge continues to operate safely for residents and visitors alike for the next century,” said Public Works and Utilities Director Jim Benning.

Construction is scheduled to be completed over four years, starting in late fall or early winter of 2026. Due to the nature of the work, most of the construction will occur during the winter months, when the bridge deck may remain in the down position.

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Construction will not occur during the months of May through September to avoid interference with the shipping season.  While construction is underway, the bridge will have one lane closed but will remain open to traffic on a one-way, take-turns basis controlled by traffic signals.

There will be intermittent full closures, likely 15-30 minutes long, during the project.  Some longer closures overnight may also be required to complete the work. Measures will be in place during construction to ensure that no construction debris is dropped into Lake Superior.