BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin construction on the Highway 75 bridge in Climax on Sept. 14. The bridge has been closed since November 2025 after inspectors found additional movement in one of the bridge piers. For safety, the bridge will remain closed until repairs are completed in late November.
Motorists should continue to follow the detour on Highway 220 and Polk County Road 45.
Because the bridge closure created an unplanned project, MnDOT chose to deliver the repairs using the design build method, which allows design and construction activities to overlap and significantly shortens the project development timeline.
“Under our traditional project delivery process, a project of this complexity could take around five years to move from development through construction,” said Jeremy Hadrava, MnDOT District 2 bridge engineer. “Using design build allows us to complete the design and construction process on a much more accelerated schedule. The design team is currently finalizing plans, and as those plans are approved, construction can move forward.”
Preparations at the site will begin Aug. 31. When construction starts in mid-September, crews will replace the south pier, return the bridge to its original alignment, and stabilize the slopes under and east of the bridge to prevent future movement. Highway 75 north of the bridge will also be repaired and repaved as part of the project.
MnDOT expects to reopen Highway 75 by late November. The detour on Highway 220 and Polk County Road 45 will remain in place until construction is complete and the bridge can safely reopen.
MnDOT has monitored the bridge for several years. Measurements taken in November 2025 showed the pier and nearby ground were shifting beyond acceptable safety limits. “We understand how important Highway 75 is to the community and region,” Hadrava said. “Safety is our top priority, and closing the bridge was necessary until a new pier system could be built.”
Please join the MnDOT District 2 Facebook group for updates on construction, road conditions and other transportation related topics at www.facebook.com/groups/mndotnorthwest/. For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store.
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