Biden revisits decaying Wisconsin bridge to announce $5B for infrastructure in election year pitch
President Joe Biden is returning to the critical swing state of Wisconsin to announce nearly $5 billion in federal funding for upgrading the Blatnik Bridge and for dozens of similar infrastructure projects nationwide
WASHINGTON (AP) — The last time President Joe Biden visited Superior, Wisconsin, he warned of the danger posed by the deteriorating John A. Blatnik Memorial Bridge — pointing out the decades-old corrosion that had weakened the overpass connecting the two port cities in Wisconsin and Minnesota and vowing to fix it.
More than 33,000 vehicles travel on the Blatnik Bridge every day, but heavy trucks are barred from it because of its decaying condition. That, in turn, has caused lengthy detours. Without additional federal funds, the bridge would have had to shut down by 2030, according to the White House. It is getting $1 billion in federal funding for upgrades and repairs.
The money comes from a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that Biden signed into law more than two years ago.
