Road Construction/Traffic

MnDOT Provides Tips On Driving Through Construction Zones

NORTHERN MINNESOTA — For Minnesota, the summer weather means drivers may encounter construction zones. And in Northern Minnesota there are 26 construction projects that will be taking place throughout the summer. The biggest project is the Twin Ports Interchange, and other projects include bridgework on Highway 61, and roadwork on Highway 53 and Highway 2. Because of all that the…

Traffic Impacts On I-35 As Part Of The Twin Ports Interchange Project

DULUTH, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Transportation says there will be closures and traffic impacts on I-35 as part of the Twin Ports Interchange project. Crews are working to pour bridge deck, causing reduced lanes and temporary closures. Below is the list of impacts from MnDOT: Wednesday, May 31, at 9 a.m., traffic will be placed in two-lane, two-way…

Duluth Police: Traffic Advisory For Memorial Day Parade

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Police Department sent out a traffic advisory for the annual Duluth Memorial Day Parade and other events happening on Monday. Below is the press release: Traffic Advisory: Memorial Day Parade/Gary Veteran’s Memorial The annual Duluth Memorial Day Parade will start at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, May 29, on Grand Ave in West Duluth/Spirit Valley. The…

Gov. Walz Vetoes Higher Pay For Lyft, Uber Drivers

(Associated Press) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have mandated higher pay and job security for Lyft and Uber drivers in Minnesota, saying the legislation wasn’t ready to become law. “Rideshare drivers deserve fair wages and safe working conditions,” Walz said in a statement announcing his first veto ever in his…

‘Northern Lights Express’ Lands Full Funding In Final MN Transportation Bill

The reality of a passenger rail line between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis is closer than ever with full funding in the state’s final transportation budget bill. The amount is roughly $194 million, which is the state’s 20-percent share of the project. The remaining 80-percent would come from the Federal Infrastructure Law, which Amtrak has officially endorsed. The train would…

City Of Duluth Announces Portions Of Skyline Parkway, Other Roads Reopen To Traffic

DULUTH, Minn. — The City of Duluth says portions of Skyline Parkway and other seasonally closed portions of roads are reopening Friday to drivers. These roads close annually in the winter. The portions of roads reopening for motorized traffic include: Skyline Parkway from 0.4 miles east of Glenwood Street to Maxwell Road Seven Bridges Road from Lakeview Chalet to Maxwell Road…

Construction Projects Set for This Week on I-35, Superior St. in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – A heads up for motorists traveling around Duluth Monday with two new road construction projects taking place this week. The Minnesota DOT says crews will be replacing the guardrail and conducting bridge inspections Monday from 9 to 3 for the ramp connecting I-35 northbound to the Bong Bridge. If weather is an issue, it will be delayed to…

Essentia Health Barricades Being Removed Around Vision Northland Project

DULUTH, Minn. — Barricades are starting to open up around Essentia Health’s Vision Northland Project. The first signs of this are noticeable to drivers on East Superior Street near Fitger’s. Fourth Avenue East, from Second Street down to Superior Street will reopen Friday afternoon. According to a press release from Essentia, all lanes on Second Street from Fourth Avenue East…

Northern Lights Express Funding Closer Than Ever At MN Capitol

DULUTH, Minn. — The idea of a passenger rail service from the Twin Ports to Minneapolis has gained its best steam yet at the Minnesota Capitol. On Wednesday, the House Transportation Committee set aside full funding for the Northern Lights Express in its omnibus bill. The amount is $194,300,000, which is the state’s 20-percent share of the project. The remaining…

Study Of Potential Changes To I-35 In Downtown Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — There has been some discussion about possible changes in how the interstate goes through downtown Duluth. Now the University of Minnesota Duluth has added to the conversation. A study concludes that freeing up land for other uses could infuse between $500 million to over $4 billion to Duluth’s economy. The potential economic effects have been studied by…

Highway 61, Pigeon River Bridge Lane Closure In Cook County

COOK COUNTY, Minn. — The Pigeon River Bridge will be having work done in preparation for this summer’s bridge re-deck project. Contractors will be working on bridge preparations on March 30 and 31. Anyone traveling that way can expect delays as the bridge will be restricted to a controlled single lane. Construction on the Pigeon Bridge will continue to take…

Changes For Drivers On I-35 Happening Friday

Northbound Changes DULUTH, Minn. — If you use I-35 through the Twin Ports Interchange, also known as the “can of worms,” here’s a heads up. Starting this Friday at 7 p.m. southbound lanes between Garfield Avenue and 27th Avenue West will be moved to single lane. Those going northbound on I-35, it’ll close completely between 40th Avenue West and Garfield…

UPDATE: Duluth I-35 Southbound Changes Happening Tuesday

UPDATE (March 10, 4:10 p.m.) — The traffic changes on I-35 through the Twin Ports Interchange are now starting Tuesday. Originally the change was supposed to happen Monday, but due to weather, the Minnesota Department of Transportation says it will begin Tuesday. ORIGINAL POST: DULUTH, Minn. — A heads up for drivers, if you use I-35 through the Twin Ports…

Police: ‘Partial Jaw Bone’ Discovered During Interchange Construction

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police confirmed Thursday that a human bone was found Feb. 14 during construction of the Twin Ports Interchange project. The “partial jaw bone” was located in the area of North 22nd Avenue W and West 1st Street, which is in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. An archaeologist was called to the scene to confirm the bone was…

Highway 53 Bridge Demolition in Duluth, MnDOT Says Expect Noise

DULUTH, Minn. — As part of the Twin Ports Interchange project, demolition for the Highway 53 bridge in Duluth has begun. MnDOT says residents and visitors in Lincoln Park can expect to hear noise on Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some critical demolition may occur until 9 p.m. including Saturdays. The demolition began on December 1 between…

Portions of Skyline Parkway and Seven Bridges Road Closed Till Spring

DULUTH, Minn. — The annual seasonal closure for a popular scenic road in Duluth starts Thursday. Portions of Skyline Parkway and Seven Bridges Road are closing all winter as a planned closure. Road closures are located: Skyline Parkway from 0.4 miles east of Glenwood Street to Maxwell Road Seven Bridges Road from Lakeview Chalet to Maxwell Road Maxwell Road from…

Updates On The Twin Ports Interchange Reconstruction Project

DULUTH, Minn. — A monthly public meeting for the Twin Ports Interchange Reconstruction Project took place online earlier Monday. The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced some big updates that are occurring, starting with the Garfield Interchange. Demolition will continue and once new substructures are poured, a south bound traffic shift will take place. The shift is expected to start around…

Final Raleigh Street Construction Meeting To Be Held In West Duluth

The meeting is 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at City Center West.

DULUTH, Minn. — The third and final meeting about future Raleigh Street reconstruction in West Duluth is happening Thursday night. Officials with the City are sharing the plans with the public at the City Center West building, and residents are welcome to give feedback. The plan is to completely tear up Raleigh Street to remove and replace water mains and…

Highway 53 Demolition Begins In Duluth’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood

DULUTH, Minn. — MnDOT crews are moving forward with the Highway 53 bridge demo in West Duluth. The portions being focused on begin in the heart of the Lincoln Park Craft District on Superior Street. Then work will continue up the hill all the way up to Piedmont Avenue. The surrounding neighborhood may hear some construction crews working until 9…

North Shore Scenic Drive Reopens After Closing For Emergency Repairs

DULUTH, Minn. — The significant erosion along portions of North Shore Scenic Drive in Duluth has been repaired. According to St. Louis County, the project which started October 10 was expected to take 5 weeks, has now wrapped up. The slope along Scenic Drive across from New Scenic Cafe was falling into Lake Superior along with big trees, making it…

Temporary Superior Street Closure In Duluth

The closure goes from North Hawthorne Road to Congdon Park Drive.

DULUTH, Minn. — A Superior Street road closure in Duluth might make it hard for travelers to bring their kids to Congdon Park Elementary. The temporary closure began Wednesday from North Hawthorne Road to Congdon Park Drive. The purpose of the project is to facilitate a sanitary sewer project. The public information officer for the city said the work may…

Garfield Avenue Closed Earlier Due To Oversized Truck Being Stuck

Garfield Avenue opened back up to traffic at 12:50 p.m.

Pictures taken from MnDOT’s Facebook page. DULUTH, Minn. — A main road in Duluth was closed earlier Monday due to an oversized truck load being stuck. It was blocking the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Helberg Drive. As a result, shortly before 12:30 p.m., the closure backed up any Duluth-bound vehicles trying to come off the bridge. The Blatnik eventually…

Twin Ports Interchange Project Meetings Coming Up

Meetings are October 31, one is virtual at 12:15 p.m. and the other is in person at 6 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. — Another summer has gone by, and so has another construction season. The massive traffic project in the Twin Ports continues to move along. The Interchange Project has been a major challenge for the driving public. Miles of new bridges, over-passes, and traffic lanes are being constructed. There will be two chances for the public to learn the…

Glenwood Roundabout To Open Saturday

DULUTH, Minn. — Construction of the new round-a-bout at the intersection of Glenwood Street and Snively Road is set to wrap up Saturday. Construction began back on July 5 and has proceeded mostly on schedule, working through shortages such as workers, cement, and other material. You can take a first spin at the reconstructed intersection Saturday as it’s expected to…

21st Avenue East Construction Nearing End

The repair work will wrap up by October 28.

DULUTH, Minn. — The end is near for a road construction project that has blocked the main way from getting to I-35 to UMD and the College of St. Scholastica. Duluth’s Public Information Officer, Kelli Latuska tells Fox 21 repair work on 21st Avenue East will wrap up by October 28. The road has been closed to traffic since June…

Crews Begin Reconstruction Of Ramp Above Garfield Avenue In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — The “can of worms” Interchange Project is progressing toward the Blatnik Bridge. From Garfield Avenue toward Superior, the ramp from Rice’s Point over Garfield toward Duluth is getting demolished for reconstruction. Big chunks of concrete are now missing on the 535 as of Tuesday. Drivers from Superior via the Blatnik are taking a temporary S-curve to access…

Residents Speak Up Against Proposed London Road Roundabouts

DULUTH, Minn. — Residents of Duluth’s London Road voiced concerns Tuesday evening over the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s proposed roundabouts for the popular road that connects to many to and from the North Shore and beyond. MnDOT’s plans include three roundabouts at 26th, 40th and 60th avenues. MnDOT said it’s all about reducing speed, traffic accidents, and stopping drivers from…

Scenic Highway 61 To Close For Emergency Erosion Repairs

DULUTH, Minn. — Significant erosion along portions of Scenic Highway 61 in Duluth has St. Louis County getting ready for five weeks of emergency repairs starting Monday. One of the locations of severe erosion along the slope of Lake Superior is across from New Scenic Café. Cones have been placed on the edge of the road where erosion has reached…

I-35 Road Construction Update In Barnum

Pictures taken from MnDOT’s website. BARNUM, Minn. — Those of you traveling near Barnum may want an update on the I-35 road construction. Starting Monday night, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said traffic will return back to separate north and southbound lanes. The off ramp for the Barnum exit will remain closed due to unexpected delays. A detour is in…

Seawall Work Behind DECC Delayed, Vehicle-Free Harbor Plaza No More

Downsized plans behind the DECC with Harbor Drive DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth’s dream to transform Harbor Drive behind the DECC into a vehicle-free public plaza is no more. And rising construction costs are being blamed. The original plan for Harbor Plaza included zero traffic, all land, walking and bike paths, places for food trucks and a large…

Driver Dies After Blatnik Bridge Crash With Construction Equipment

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man is dead after slamming into construction equipment on the Blatnik Bridge Friday. The Minnesota State Patrol says Todd Tikka, 55, lost control of his SUV while driving across the bridge to Duluth when he overcorrected and struck the median wall before striking the equipment on the right-hand shoulder. Officials say he was not wearing…

Public Comment Period Begins For Blatnik Bridge Alternatives

TWIN PORTS – Anyone who uses the Blatnik Bridge to get across the Twin Ports can now help transportation officials plan its replacement. The public comment period is open for people to view the possible locations of the bridge, and whether it should shift slightly west or east of its current position. People can also see different designs for how the…

Hibbing Police Dept. Planning Volunteer Trip to Help Kabetogama Flooding Victims

According to the Chief, there will be a wide range of duties so anyone can help, regardless of physical restrictions.

Photo: Hibbing Police Department Facebook Page HIBBING, Minn.- Officials with the Hibbing Police Department plan to take a volunteer team Thursday to the Kabetogama area, as the floodwaters continue to claim more homes. According to the National Weather Service, the flooding in the Rainy River Basin is historic, and already exceeded the records set in 2014. It could break all-time…

Koochiching Co. Sheriff: Roads Closing Due to Rainy Lake Flooding; Some Int’l Falls Residents Should Evacuate

According to the Sheriff's Office Facebook page, the evacuation is currently voluntary, but anyone choosing to stay home must find other transportation.

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn.- The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office asked that International Falls residents prepare to evacuate, as historic flooding of Rainy Lake forced the closure of County Road 135 and Town Road 225 Friday. According to an alert from the Minnesota Integrated Alert and Warning System or IPAWS shared on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page, County Road 135 closed at…

Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Host Annual Duluth Workshop

DULUTH, Minn. Last year saw the highest number of traffic deaths in Minnesota since 2007.  One program is taking a deeper dive into the data to figure out why. More than 70 groups and people part of Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths gathered in Duluth Wednesday for the northeast region’s 12th annual workshop.  The event featured speakers with knowledge on the issues…

Brighton Beach Construction Update

DULUTH, Minn. — The construction on Brighton Beach began at the end of last summer, and its looking like it may continue on a few more seasons. A new walkway was paved and extended at Brighton Beach for reconstruction last September, but what comes next is prioritizing the park and shoreline improvements to try and reinforce them. Depending on contractor…

Northern Lights Express Remains Optimistic After Minnesota Senate Votes for No Funding in Next Budget

DULUTH, Minn. – Supporters of the Northern Lights Express rail project were not shocked by Monday’s vote by the Minnesota Senate to not include finding for it in the next state budget. “What happened in the Senate this week was not unexpected,” says Ken Buehler, Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for Northern Light Express.  “We saw this coming, we’re prepared…

Minnesota Civil Engineers Give Statewide Infrastructure a “C” Grade

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota’s infrastructure is mediocre and requires attention.  That’s according to members of the American Society of Civil Engineers who are from Duluth and Minnesota. They unveiled their latest report card during an event Tuesday next to the Can of Worms Infrastructure project along Lower Michigan Avenue, as well as in St. Paul.  ASCE releases these report cards every…