This early morning scene captures a crisp view of the St. Louis River and the John A. Blatnik High Bridge. The need to cross this broad river was discussed in Duluth's early history. Although introduced for budget consideration in 1930, it wasn't until 1961 when the bridge was completed, eventually funded through the Interstate Highway Program. Stretching for nearly two miles, the I-535 bridge crosses one of Lake Superior's largest tributaries.
     The Saint Louis River may have been named for a French explorer who had received the Cross of St. Louis. Originally known as Gichigami-Ziibi (Great Lake River) to the Ojibwa, the name St. Louis began to appear on French Maps in 1755. The river begins its upper courses in the Superior National Forest, near Hoyt Lakes in Minnesota. As the river approaches Lake Superior and Twin Harbors, the freshwater estuary marks the Minnesota / Wisconsin border. By the mid 1950s, the St. Louis River was one of the most polluted rivers in the area, making for an EPA Area of Concern. Clean-up began in 1975 and recovery took hold in the 1980s and 90s. The Remedial Action Plan focuses on 39 miles of the St. Louis below Cloquet, Minnesota.