Why Is The Blatnik Bridge Closed So Often For Repairs?

I live in Superior and work in Duluth.  So the yearly bridge shut downs definitely affect me and drive me nuts.  Why does the Blatnik Bridge especially need so much work?   Turns out that just like an old car that drives over it, it's always breaking down.

The bridge recently was inspected and found 23 gusset plates in need of repair.  One of them was actually cracked.   MNDOT says that future inspections will be needed frequently and there most likely will be more immediate fixes routinely needed.

The bridge is 55 years old.  MNDOT maintains the bridge and now needs to routinely flush corrosive saltwater from the frame to prevent more corrosion.   Also because of it's age there is going to have to be a long term plan on bigger projects to prolong the lifespan.

So as frustrating as it is to have the bridge close, let's remember what happened on I -35W not so long ago.  Let's  be patient and just be glad that we have the Bong Bridge too.