DULUTH, Minn. — Shipping traffic in Duluth's harbor has been impeded by an aerial lift bridge that has been stuck in the down position because of heavy ice.
The Aerial Lift Bridge has been stuck since Monday, despite efforts by city crews to de-ice the structure. Workers were called off the bridge Wednesday because falling ice posed a safety hazard. City officials say a test lift was attempted, but the bridge motors are being taxed by the excessive weight.
The issue has been an inconvenience for shipping companies who must take a longer way in and out of the harbor through the Superior, Wisconsin entry point.
Lake Carriers’ Association spokesperson Eric Peace tells the Star Tribune that since that channel is also shallower, ships must carry 6,500 fewer tons at a time.
Work on clearing ice was to resume Thursday.
The stuck bridge is just one problem left in the wake of a powerful winter storm that battered Duluth with more than 20 inches of snow. On Wednesday Duluth Mayor Emily Larson apologized to residents for missteps in the city's snow removal response, which caused two schools in a lower-income section of town to remain closed Wednesday.
