City: Irvin Can Fit Through Slip Bridge; Seawall Construction Timeline Released

DULUTH, Minn. –  The city of Duluth has released new details to FOX 21’s Dan Hanger involving an updated construction timeline on the delayed seawall project in Canal Park, and also when and where the William A. Irvin could eventually open for the season.

But first, the Minnesota Slip Bridge in Canal Park, also known as the “Blue Bridge,” is closer to opening up for the season.

The bridge’s tarps have been removed.

The bridge was wrapped for about the past two months while crews gave it a paint job.

The city says the bridge will be open the first weekend in May.

Meanwhile, crews are back on the job to rebuild the crumbling seawall in the Minnesota Slip.

This comes after the State Historical Preservation Office gave this OK Wednesday.

The city tells FOX 21 the delayed seawall is now expected to be complete in early to mid-June, which means the earliest the William A. Irvin could be moved out through the Slip Bridge and open for tourists behind the DECC would be sometime in June.  The new walkway and bike path next to the seawall is now expected to be complete by mid August.

It’s also confirmed the Irvin can fit through the Slip Bridge with four inches of room on each side.

“Boats, like people, bulge at the sides and the question was, had it bulged so much as of today it couldn’t fit? And we were able to take measurements of its current width and indeed confirm it can fit through,” said Jim Filby Williams, the city of Duluth’s director of public administration.

The city says the Irvin could also be pushed back against the seawall for operations before early June when the section of seawall by the Irvin is complete before the rest of the wall.

This would then give the charter boats on the other side of the slip full access for their seasonal operations to lessen the impacts there with delays.

But the city cautions, this construction timeline could very well change as the seawall work unfolds.

“There is the element of the unknown … as we dig into this 100-year-plus-old infrastructure. We hope there will not be further delays, but there may be some surprises along the way,” Williams said.

When the seawall work is completed, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will begin its part of the slip project handling the pollution down below, which will require the Irvin to be removed from the slip.