SUPERIOR — City committees were busy this week in preparation for the planned Blatnik Bridge replacement project.
The Plan Commission met Tuesday, Oct. 14, to consider selling an L-shaped parcel of city-owned land that runs adjacent to and behind Halvor Logistics, one of the
business properties that will be acquired
as part of the project.
Commissioners also considered granting temporary easements on land the city owns around the city of Superior sign at the foot of the bridge and near the lift station on Cumming Avenue and North Third Street. The property will be used for a storage area during construction.
Once the project is complete, the temporary easement will go away, said Jason Serck, economic development, port and planning director. However, the L-shaped parcel will become the property of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
WisDOT agreed to pay $5 per square foot for the L-shaped parcel, which is a competitive rate for the area, and is paying $2.46 per square foot for the temporary easement near the lift station, Serck said. Overall, WisDOT allocated $60,100 for the purchase and easements, but won’t pay an easement fee for the area around the sign because of a deed restriction placed when the city purchased the property.
“They’re not taking the sign,” Serck said. “The city bought this property for like a dollar … back about 10 years ago for this sign from the DOT.”
At the time of the sale, Serck said the deed restriction was added so WisDOT wouldn’t have to pay fees during construction.
Serck said he thinks the proposal is fair, as did the public works director when consulted.
Commissioners recommended the council approve the sale and temporary easements.
Then the Redevelopment Authority met Thursday, Oct. 16, to consider selling land it controls on behalf of the city on Connors Point.
With the addition of a shared-use path on the new Blatnik Bridge, WisDOT has to purchase some property on Connors Point that is underneath the bridge from the Redevelopment Authority, Serck said. Because the bridge will be wider, the state needs a larger right-of-way underneath.
The state will pay about $1,500 per acre for a little more than 2.5 acres in addition to a temporary easement on 1.4 acres for a total of $5,200.
This graphic gives a closer view of what the Superior approach to the Blatnik Bridge will look like after the reconstruction project. New roads are in dark gray; the current roads are in white. The green areas indicate one-way roundabouts and the pink line is a pedestrian path that will cross the bridge.
Contributed / Minnesota Department of Transportation
Northwest region project manager Marc Bowker said WisDOT expects to complete land acquisitions by early 2026, but the final design for the bridge could create additional real estate needs.
Board members recommended authorizing the sale and approving the purchase agreement.
The Superior City Council will consider all the land sales and temporary easements at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Room 201 of the Government Center.
Blatnik Bridge public update
The Minnesota and Wisconsin transportation departments are hosting a public meeting about the Blatnik Bridge project at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at the Superior Public Library, 1530 Tower Ave.
A presentation will note progress over the last year, such as preliminary engineering, permitting, environmental document updates and development of contract documents for bidders. The team will also provide information on traffic mitigation, an estimated construction schedule and other information, and will answer questions.
For those unable to attend, the project website at
mndot.gov/d1/projects/blatnik-bridge
has also been updated.
Shelley Nelson is a reporter with the Duluth Media Group since 1997, and has covered Superior and Douglas County communities and government for the Duluth News Tribune from 1999 to 2006, and the Superior Telegram since 2006. Contact her at 715-395-5022 or snelson@superiortelegram.com.