Construction to start on Winter Street, Susquehanna Avenue

The Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation (WisDOT and MnDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, have entered into a contract with Ames-Kramer Joint Venture II (AKJV) for the final design and construction of the Blatnik Bridge replacement project. As part of the larger bridge project, the contractor team will complete a resurfacing project on Winter Street from US 53 to Susquehanna Avenue and Susquehanna from Winter to Belknap Street in the city of Superior. Construction of the resurfacing project is scheduled to start as early as Monday, Sept. 14.

During construction on the bridge replacement project, Winter Street and Susquehanna Avenue will be signed as an alternate detour during the Blatnik Bridge closure. To prepare for that, the resurfacing project is:

• Removing a portion of existing pavement on Winter Street and Susquehanna Avenue and placing a new layer of asphalt over the roadways.
• Adding a left-turn lane for northbound traffic on Susquehanna Avenue at the on-ramp to westbound US 2.
• Adding pavement markings to delineate additional turn lanes, as room allows, on the corridor.
• Adding temporary traffic signals on Winter Street at Grand Avenue. These signals will be removed after construction and restored to the pre-construction condition when the new Blatnik Bridge reopens.
• Adding stop signs on Winter Street at Catlin Avenue and adjusting other stop signs at intersections along Winter Street.

The project also will include making pavement marking modifications along Belknap Street and removing left-turn lanes along Belknap at Banks and Ogden avenues.

During construction, Winter Street and Susquehanna Avenue will remain open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging.

Construction is scheduled for completion in late October.

The Blatnik Bridge is approaching the end of its service life and will be replaced. Full closure of the structure, opened to traffic on Dec. 2, 1961, is scheduled for no earlier than March 1, 2027, with the new bridge opened to traffic by Oct. 31, 2031, and overall project completion in 2032. Visit the bridge replacement project’s website for more information.

For more information about Winter Street, visit the project’s construction website.

Motorists are reminded that using handheld cell phones in Wisconsin work zones is illegal. Alerts and updates provided via these sites are not intended for use while driving. When driving, your focus should always be on driving.

For more information regarding traffic impacts, transportation news and improvement project updates in Wisconsin’s Northwest Region:

• Follow us on X: @WisDOTnorthwest
• Visit the NW Region's 511 website

For more information, contact:

Christena T. O'Brien, Northwest Region Communications Manager

(715) 833-9814, (715) 828-9471, christena.obrien@dot.wi.gov