UPDATE: Phase 2 Northwest Skywalk Passage With Day And Night Traffic I-35 Closures

Construction in the Twin Ports continues with work being done on the Bong Bridge and the opening of it's roundabout August 14, the new Whole Foods Co-op in West Duluth, the maurices Corporation building and DTA's downtown transportation center (to name a few).  The Phase 2 & 3 nighttime closure of both northbound and southbound I-35 began last night at 9:00 p.m.  There is daytime partial-lane closures of southbound I-35 scheduled to begin today, August 10.

During the Phase 2 & 3 nighttime closure of southbound I-35, the detour will be via the Lake Avenue Exit onto the frontage road and then to 5th Avenue West where drivers can use the on-ramp to get back onto southbound I-35. During the Phase 2 & 3 nighttime closure of northbound I-35, the detour will continue to be via 5th Avenue West to Railroad Street, Lake Avenue and then back onto northbound I-35. Both directions will be closed for just five nights.

The Phase 2 & 3 daytime work involves a single left-lane closure on southbound I-35 and a single right-lane closure on northbound I-35. The northbound on-ramp onto I-35 from 5th Avenue West will also be closed. Drivers at 5th Avenue West who wish to travel North on I-35 will be detoured to the Lake Avenue on-ramp via Railroad Street.

5th Avenue West will remain open during the daytime in Phase 2 & 3. However, it will be closed during the nighttime when both North and South I-35 are closed. This began last night at 9:00 p.m. and reopend at 6:00 a.m. this morning and will continue for the next four nights (8/10, 8/11, 8/12 and 8/13). The frontage road alongside northbound I-35 between 5th Avenue West and Lake Avenue is now open.

The Duluth Transit Authority’s (DTA) DECC & Downtown Shuttle Bus (Route 22) will continue to run on Railroad Street during weekdays with the main DECC stop located just below the Northwest Passage.

This is the most current information regarding the project’s timeline. Thank you to Heath Hickok, the DTA Director of Marketing for diligently sharing this information with us, so we can keep you in the know.  Check back often for updates.