
What Are These Spikes For On Top Of Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge?
I was out on a boat ride enjoying a beautiful late September day. We were sightseeing in the harbor on a friend's pontoon. All of us have been on the water many times in Duluth's beautiful harbor, which is just on the south side of Park Point.
We got near the lift bridge, and being that I wasn't driving the boat, I actually had a chance to let my eyes wander and take in the scenery. That's when I noticed something bizarre on top of the aerial lift bridge.
On each end of the Lift Bridge, there are 4 large spikes at the top. What could that be for? Was it to keep birds off of it? Were they antennas? None of us on the boat had a solid answer, so I thought I'd do some investigative journalism. Real hard-hitting stuff, right?
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It turns out I know the Chief Operator of the Lift Bridge. We met years ago and I actually had a chance to go into the lift bridge. That was a really cool experience.

Anyway, I reached out to Dave and I asked him what's the deal with those cones.
They are lightning arrestors. The Aerial Lift Bridge is basically a giant lightning rod. It gets hit from time to time by passing thunderstorms.
Those spikes are actually enclosed rods that are tethered to long, large ground wires that go all the way to the ground. If lightning hits the bridge, the current goes straight to the ground on either side of the canal.
Did you know that if the city loses power, the lift bridge can still operate? They have a large diesel generator that can raise and lower the bridge, and another generator for the equipment and communications.
Learn more about lighting strikes from this video we did at B105 over 10 years ago.
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