Aerial Lift Bridge

Built in 1929-1930, this bridge was designed to carry vehicular and pedestrian traffic over the entrance to Duluth Harbor. The aerial lift bridge was a compact solution to the problem of getting people and goods from one side to the other while allowing huge ships to also pass through the same patch of space. Because of urbanization on both sides of the channel, a traditional bridge was not possible as the approaches would have needed to be extremely long, reducing the utility of the structure. Until the bridge was built, the people of Duluth made do with ferries in the summer and temporary bridges in the winter when the port was frozen. The bridge, itself, is owned and operated by the City of Duluth, but the land and water surrounding it is the property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At it's widest point it is 386 feet and has a maximum height of 227 feet.