Duluth Prepares For Phase Three Of The Lakewalk Reconstruction Project

"We want people to understand we are open for business," said Canal Park Business Association President Matt Baumgartner.

DULUTH, Minn. – After three major storms in 2017 and 2018 violently destroyed sections of the Lakewalk, the City of Duluth has been working to restore the damage done.

The city is now preparing for phase three of the reconstruction project, estimated to cost $15 million, which is being funded by FEMA.

The City of Duluth has been planning the design for this stretch of more than two thousand feet for nearly a year, with hopes of rebuilding the shoreline in a different way than before.

For this phase, the city purchased more than 65,000 tons of stone, which will be used as another line of defense along with a concrete wall set to be installed starting from the Veteran’s memorial.

Phase three includes raising the ground by about four feet to keep up with rising lake levels.

Stormwater ditches will also be added to help drain any water flushed onto the Lakewalk.

The Project Supervisor believes the new structure design of the shoreline could be a permanent solution.

But with mother nature having a mind of her own, there could still be a chance for future damage.

“This design is being engineered on the latest data recommendations by the Corp of Engineers and NOAA. That’s much different than before. The only question in all of that is whether we have seen the worst the lake has to bring,” said Mike LeBeau.

Like with any construction project, it can cause some disruption for many area businesses.

Canal Park is filled with various types of businesses including some that are tourism-related.

The reconstruction project could impact each differently, but the President of the Canal Park Business Association wants everyone to continue to show their support.

“Often when there is a large storm, weather event, or construction, the images that are shared are those that show it doesn’t look friendly to go there,” said Matt Baumgartner. “We don’t want that to be the case. We want people to understand we are open for business.”

A new asphalt trail and boardwalk are expected to be installed during this phase.

The city is also taking advantage of restoring much of the aging infrastructure.

This portion of the Lakewalk will have public access, but a security firm has been hired to help control pedestrian traffic.

Bidding is expected to open next month.

With other construction projects on the agenda for the city, the bidding could exceed reconstruction’s estimated cost of $15 million.

Construction is slated to begin in May.

The city hopes to finish up this phase by the fall only if there are no major setbacks.