Slip Bridge Repairs Come with Hefty Price Tag

Work on the 25-Year Old Bridge Expected to Cost $3.5M

DULUTH, Minn. – Some Duluthians are concerned after a recent published article put the price tag of repairs to the Minnesota Slip Bridge at more than $2 million.  Turns out, the price is actually higher.

“This was supposed to be kind of a nice icon for the City of Duluth and it’s turned into more of an albatross over the years,” said Duluth Senior Engineer Duncan Schwensohn.

As tourist season approaches, the Minnesota Slip Bridge is once again closed for repairs.

“It’s never worked, It’s been an ongoing problem,” said Dan Russell, Executive Director of the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.

The Slip Bridge opened in 1991 at a price tag of about $800,000.  The first closure, came just days later.  Officials say this re–fit should prevent future closures, but it comes at a hefty price tag.

Duluth’s slip bridge is the only one of its kind in America, operating on a pulley and spool system.

“It’s supposed to fall back down by gravity as the spool un-spools the cables,” said Schwensohn.  “But what we have figured out is the wind actually holds the bridge span up in place.”

The bridge was closed for repairs 35 days last summer, another 10 because of high winds.  To fix the problem, the slip bridge is being completely re–fit including rack and pinion lift system.  The price tag?  Roughly $3.5 million .  That however, is considerably lower than $6–7 million to replace the bridge.  Tourism taxes, spread out over four years, will pay for the project.

“Once this project is done, we should have a very well–functioning bridge,” said Schewensohn.  “The bones of the bridge are good, it’s just the lift system was the problem.”

Businesses on both sides of the slip hope the project is good for their bottom lines.

“That would be excellent if it were to stay open all the time,” said Elizabeth Vaughn, Assistant Manager at Duluth Pack.  “We are looking forward to the fix being complete.”

A fully functional slip bridge would also be great for the DECC.

“It really needed a permanent solution and we’re very grateful they’ve come up with that,” said Russell.  “It’ll be inconvenient during construction, and then again this fall when they repaint the bridge, but it’s well–worthwhile in the long run.”