Visits the Blatnik Bridge, a prime example of aging infrastructure likely to have repairs accelerated from a bipartisan deal reached with Congress.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday used an aging bridge spanning a corner of iced-over Lake Superior to promote billions of dollars that will flow to communities across the US in coming years to fix roads, bridges and other infrastructure, a day after highlighting the spending in his State of the Union address.
The John A. Blatnik Memorial Bridge, which connects Superior to Duluth, Minnesota, is too old to support large trucks, undermining its ability to serve as an economic lifeline in the region. The more than 60-year-old span will need significant repairs to its trusses as one of hundreds of bridges in Wisconsin rated as being in poor condition.
Biden’s motorcade stopped for a photo opportunity beneath the bridge, where the president shook hands with nearby workers in hardhats and neon vests before continuing on to deliver a speech at UW-Superior.
Biden noted that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will bring more than $5 billion worth of projects and jobs to Wisconsin during the next five years, likely benefiting the Blatnik Bridge upgrades.
“You know when the Husky oil refinery exploded in Superior back in 2018, this bridge was the one that many of you took to get your families to safety,” Biden said. “And so you know it matters.”
Biden referenced replacing lead pipes, fixing roads, and expanding high-speed internet access as other elements of the infrastructure blueprint that will benefit Wisconsin.
“The days of having to pull your child up outside of McDonald’s to do their homework because there’s no internet in your home and no internet in your region end when we provide affordable, high-speed internet to every American; urban, rural, suburban, tribal,” the president said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pat Kreitlow The Founding Editor of UpNorthNews, Pat was a familiar presence on radio and TV stations in western Wisconsin before serving in the state Legislature. After a brief stint living in the Caribbean, Pat and wife returned to Chippewa Falls to be closer to their growing group of grandchildren.
