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 Aerial Lift Bridge to Undergo Sidewalk Repair and Lighting Upgrades

[Duluth, MN] On Monday, March 9, a contractor will begin repairing portions of the sidewalk on either side of the Aerial Lift Bridge. Work will occur throughout the workday, and traffic will be dropped to one lane during the day. Two-way traffic will be reinstated after the contractor has left for the day and throughout overnight hours. Portions of the sidewalk on both sides of the bridge will be repaired but will occur one side at a time. While the sidewalk is being repaired, it will be closed to pedestrians. This work is expected to last a week.

In addition to repairing sidewalks, the City will also be upgrading the lighting infrastructure on the Aerial Lift Bridge. The bridge was first lit in 1966, to popularize the Bridge, and Duluth similarly to the Eifel Tower, and the arch St. Louis, Missouri. The current lights were installed in 1980 and are high-pressure sodium lights. The new lights will be a light-emitting diode (LED). These lights are expected to last for 90,000 hours or 22.5 years.

“The City of Duluth will be saving 50,000-kilowatt-hours annually by upgrading to these lights,” said Alex Jackson, City of Duluth Energy Coordinator. “This is an annual cost savings of over $5,000. This upgrade is provided in part by a fund dedicated to increase lighting efficiency within the City and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Work to change out the lights will also begin on Monday, March 9th, and will continue for up to three weeks for the lifting span part of the Bridge weather permitting. Traffic will drop to one lane during this work.

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