Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge

Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge
Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge from the Duluth, Minnesota hillside looking southwest toward Superior, Wisconsin and Billings Park
Coordinates	46°43′53″N 92°08′38″W / 46.73142°N 92.14376°W / 46.73142; -92.14376
Carries	Four lanes of US 2
Crosses	Saint Louis Bay
Locale	Duluth, MN and Superior, WI
Maintained by	Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design	Tied-arch bridge
Total length	11,800 ft (3,600 m)
History
Designer	Amardo J. Romano
Opened	October 25, 1984
Location

The Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, also known as the Bong Bridge, connects Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, via U.S. Highway 2 (US 2). Opened on October 25, 1984, it is roughly 11,800 feet (3,600 m) long, including about 8,300 feet (2,500 m) over water.^[1] It crosses the Saint Louis Bay, which drains into Lake Superior. The bridge rises 120 feet above the river to accommodate maritime traffic in a 400-foot-wide navigation channel.^[2] The Bong Bridge is one of three bridges connecting Duluth and Superior. A through-arch bridge downstream from the Bong -- the John A. Blatnik Bridge -- carries Interstate 535 (I-535) over the water. The third bridge is the Oliver Bridge, which connects the Gary – New Duluth neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota with the village of Oliver, Wisconsin. The bridge is 1,889 feet (576 m) long[1] and is principally of steel truss construction. The upper deck carries a single track rail line and a lower deck carries the road connecting Wisconsin Highway 105 to Minnesota State Highway 39.