DULUTH — Officials will try raising the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge less frequently this summer in a bid to ease traffic congestion on the roads surrounding the bridge.

From May 27 through Labor Day, the bridge will lift every half-hour from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for recreational and small commercial boats. It’s a departure from in the past, when the bridge would lift any time for large freighters.

City officials say the reduced lifts, first tested in 2010, have reduced traffic congestion in Canal Park as well as wear and tear on the bridge. It also saves locals from having to wait for lifts.