Crews began de-icing operations late this morning on Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, which is stuck in the “down” position because of ice build-up from last weekend’s massive storm. Jayson Hron with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority says they’re hopeful the lift bridge will be back in operation tomorrow — or even tonight if everything goes well. Hron says, “It’s not unprecedented for the Lift Bridge to be inoperable, but typically when it’s happened in the past, it’s only a matter of hours until it’s back in operation. Few can remember occasions where it stretched into days.”
Two ships — both ocean-going “salties” — have had to divert through the Superior entry to reach their docks in the Duluth Harbor — adding about a hour to their transit time.