I-35 Ramps To, From Blatnik Bridge Open Tuesday Morning
DULUTH, Minn. – A big relief is on the way Tuesday for thousands of drivers in the Twin Ports.
MnDOT says the I-35 ramps to and from the Blatnik Bridge on I-535 will officially reopen as early at 5 a.m.
This means, for the first time since 2021, will no longer be forced to take the single-lane Garfield Avenue to get between Duluth and Superior.
MnDOT: 2024
“We are feeling great. This is a major milestone that we’ve reached. It’s taken a little while, but it’s a fantastic feeling to move forward,” said Pippi Mayfield, communication director for MnDOT’s Duluth area.
Besides a few traffic crashes along the way, nobody has been seriously injured during the Twin Ports Interchange project, according to Mayfield, and they want to keep it that way as new traffic patterns open back up.
“When you’re on 35, you haven’t had traffic merging for the last few years, and tomorrow morning, you will have traffic from Wisconsin merging. So for instance, when you’re going northbound on 35 and you’re going to get over into the exit to go up Mesaba, there will be traffic coming from Wisconsin. So please make sure you’re paying attention,” Mayfield explained.
As for the rest of the Interchange project, Highway 53 bridges to 21st Avenue West into Lincoln Park will be completed this fall, according to MndOT.
The Highway 53 link to the Blatnik Bridge will be completed in the fall of 2025.
Some of the construction was delayed after indigenous remains were discovered in a section of the project site.
