Superior Street Reconstruction Project to Continue Into Next Year

Phase Three of the Superior Street Reconstruction Project will now be continuing next year after it was expected to be completed this fall. 

DULUTH, Minn. – Phase Three of the Superior Street Reconstruction Project will now be continuing next year after it was expected to be completed this fall.

Phase three consists of the three-block section from Lake Avenue to Third Avenue West, which includes a new street, underground utilities, sidewalks and lighting.

With the winter looming, temporary asphalt will be put on many sidewalks and parts of those streets. Project leadership say there wasn’t enough time to finish all of the tasks as they ran into unexpected issues, including recovering a variety of different items that were known to be under the street.

Things like hot water, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, water system and new lights are all done. It’s just a matter of putting concrete pavement and concrete sidewalk in next year.

“Cause there was a lot of work to do,” said Duncan Schwensohn, the senior engineer for the City of Duluth. “We’re just running out of time. We’re out here, starting in April, six days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day and there was just more work than we could get done. There were some extra things that happened that weren’t planned for.”

The year was a pretty good year weather-wise as construction workers didn’t have to deal with too much snow. The current portion under construction is set to reopen in mid-November.

The project manager also said portions of phase two between 3rd Avenue East by the Greysolon Plaza and 4th Avenue East also need to be completed next year as they ran out of time.