I-35 Section Closed in Minnesota Due to Bridge Deterioration

Minnesota officials have closed a section of Interstate 35 in Duluth after inspectors found a deteriorating piling on a bridge.

The state expects the southbound lanes of the highway to be shut down for at least a week following the Nov. 19 notice. The lanes are closed between its northern terminus at 26th Avenue East and the junction with Interstate 535 at 21st Avenue West, a distance of about four miles, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.

The piling that caused the shutdown was so corroded that inspectors could see through it, Duane Hill, an MnDOT engineer, told the Duluth News Tribune.

“The bridge is being closed as a precautionary measure due to the amount of deterioration that was identified during a recent inspection,” Hill said in a statement.

MnDOT’s crews have begun to repair the piling while the agency seeks a contractor to complete the work, it said.