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Painting and structural rehabilitation work on the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 21, 2009 and should be completed by May 20, 2011.

The City of Duluth awarded a contract to Rainbow, Inc. in the amount of $4,900,000 for the work.  The majority of the work will occur over the two winter closure periods in 2010 and 2011.

Work on the Aerial Life Bridge will commence soon and include concrete and steel repair work on the bridge’s pedestrian sidewalks and guardrails. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will also be on site the week of September 21, 2009, for a routine bridge inspection. Drivers should be prepared for single-lane vehicle traffic over the bridge beginning September 21, 2009, and continuing through November 06, 2009. Stop signal lights will be utilized at each end of the bridge to facilitate the one-way traffic. In addition, intermittent bridge closures may be required which should last no more than 15 minutes each time. 

Winter work includes repainting of the bridge towers and repair of structural steel elements. The underside and lower elements of the lift span truss were repainted in 2000, and work on the lift span truss was completed earlier in 2009. Areas to be repainted will be completely enclosed, allowing for collection of existing paint during blast removal and for the areas to be heated during the painting process. 

Accomplishing winter work will require single lane passing as well as a limited number of extended closure periods to vehicular traffic. If the work will close the bridge for more than 15 minutes, the contractor is required to notify the public of the upcoming closure 72 hours prior; install lighted message signs at each end of the bridge; and complete the work during the hours of 1:00 – 6:00 a.m. at which time traffic will only be able to pass across the bridge every two hours. During the extended closure periods, work will also be coordinated with police, fire and emergency service vehicles.

The City of Duluth thanks the public for their patience during this project period.   

For additional information, contact City of Duluth Project Manager Matt Decur at (218) 730-5104; Aerial Lift Bridge Supervisor Ryan Beamer at (218) 730-3387; LHB Engineers and Architects Project Manager Joe Litman at (218) 279-2455.