Ethan Schurman WDIO
Updated: April 16, 2025 – 4:29 PM
Published: April 16, 2025 – 2:06 PM
With the anticipation of the big construction project on the John A. Blatnik Bridge, a new group of businesses from across the Twin Ports met together at Hoops Brewing in Duluth. The Twin Ports Business Alliance (TPBA) is a group that brings together leaders from the Superior Business Improvement District and Duluth’s Canal Park, Downtown, Lincoln Park, and West Duluth.
In early 2024, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation received over $1 billion in federal funding to replace the aging Blatnik bridge. Both states are also contributing funding for the project. Minnesota Department of Transportation will lead the bridge replacement project, which will address aging infrastructure, improve safety, and better accommodate oversized/overweight loads.
Uniting the Twin Ports
Ahead of this, business leaders started the Twin Ports Business Alliance to collaborate and support each other in all phases of the Blatnik Replacement project. The group met as a whole for the first time, the morning of April 16th. Instead of focusing on the disruption, the people gathered looked at the silver lining of the opportunity that the construction creates.
One of the attendees, Jennifer Hansen, Community and Economic Developer for Ecolibrium 3, spoke on the energy in their discussions. “You know, we’re not two different communities. We’re one big community,” she said. “Everybody goes across the bridge. And Homegrown is the perfect example of that. And we see Homegrown as this really fun experience that just amplifies what we want it to look like every day of the year.”
The alliance aims to provide updates, resources, business support, and marketing opportunities to businesses involved. The TBPA also plans to support businesses with creative and collaborative marketing opportunities designed to create awareness and drive business to both sides of the bridge. Learn more on their Facebook.
Traffic will still be displaced, so the two states have crafted a multi-year plan while the bridge is closed through 2026-2031. A plan can be seen below, and details about the Blatnik Bridge project can be found on the Minnesota Department of Transportation website.
