The Sorlie Memorial Bridge (also known as the Red River Bridge) is a historic steel through-truss structure built in 1929 by the Minneapolis Bridge Company. Spanning the Red River, it connects the downtown districts of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

Key Challenges

Restoring an iconic 90+ year-old bridge in a live urban environment presented several significant hurdles:

• Full Lead Paint Containment in a Densely Populated Area: The original coating contained lead-based paint, requiring complete removal before repainting. The bridge sits directly in the heart of downtown Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, surrounded by homes, businesses, pedestrian traffic, and the Red River below. Any uncontrolled release of lead dust or abrasives could pose serious risks to public health, the environment, and the river ecosystem.
• Historic Preservation Requirements: Every aspect of the work had to maintain the bridge’s original aesthetic and structural integrity while meeting strict standards from the North Dakota and Minnesota State Historic Preservation Offices.
• Minimizing Disruption to Traffic and Daily Life: As a critical connector between two states, the bridge needed to remain open to at least one lane of traffic throughout the project, with minimal impact on local businesses and residents.
• Environmental and Regulatory Compliance: Work occurred over a major waterway in a region prone to flooding and extreme weather, demanding zero-tolerance containment of hazardous materials under tight federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
• Logistical Complexity: Coordinating abrasive blasting, cleaning, and high-performance coating application on a large, elevated truss structure while protecting workers, the public, and the surrounding community added layers of operational difficulty.

How We Met the Challenges

Our team approached this high-stakes project with proven expertise in industrial coating and hazardous paint removal, delivering a solution that exceeded expectations:

• Advanced Full Containment Systems: We engineered and deployed a SSPC Class 1A containment system.  Continuous air monitoring and daily inspections ensured no measurable releases into the surrounding air, soil, or river—protecting the densely populated downtown area and the Red River environment.
• Skilled, Safety-Focused Execution: Our crew of SSPC-certified blasters, painters, and environmental technicians worked under rigorous safety protocols. Real-time monitoring, weather contingency planning, and 24/7 containment management.