New Lakewalk in Canal Park to be Feet Higher to Keep Waves at Bay

The project's supervisor tells Fox 21 the multi-million dollar reconstruction project is on schedule to wrap up by the end of the year.

DULUTH, Minn. – There’s good news for the thousands of people who use Duluth’s Lakewalk every year.

The project’s supervisor tells Fox 21 the multi-million dollar reconstruction project is on schedule to wrap up by the end of the year.

The portion of the Lakewalk in Canal Park that is currently under construction will be higher than its ever been along with a new concrete break wall to keep Lake Superior’s waves from continuing to tear apart the shoreline.

At the part of the project closest to the canal and Aerial Lift Bridge there is a large concrete wall.

Walkers on the Lakewalk will still be able to see the lake when they walk, however, there will be steps and ramp up to the Lakewalk on that end as it will be a few feet higher than it is now.

Massive stones have been getting trucked down to Canal Park from a quarry 15 miles north of Two Harbors since January.

The final project is expected to be very similar to the completed new Lakewalk behind the Fitger’s Complex.

When it’s all done, the large rocks will pile up from the water to the top of the 10-foot concrete wall.

On the other side of the wall will be a boardwalk trail with grassy areas and lights.

The area will also have a twelve-foot wide asphalt trail.

The large rocks are being stored right now on the beach behind the Canal Park Lodge, but once the project is done, people will have beach access despite the new break wall.

“The concrete wall will be not as deep in the ground but it will still be a couple of feet above the trail but there will be an opening every so often to let people get to the beach. It’s a huge priority to clean up that beach when we are done and get good access from both the trails,” said Mike LeBeau, the construction project supervisor for the city of Duluth.

Meanwhile, while some hotel rooms on the first floors might have their view peeled back a bit with the higher Lakewalk, LeBeau says the rooms should still be able to see the lake and that the height is important to help stop the severe erosion around the hotels for decades to come.

Construction is scheduled to wrap up late in the fall with some additional landscaping work happening in the springtime in Duluth.

The carriage path is scheduled to be open throughout the duration of the project.