UPDATE: Final Phase And Opening Of Northwest Skywalk Passage Will Be Delayed Two Weeks

Construction in the Twin Ports continues, many of our roadways are dotted with colorful signage and  hard-working individuals doing their best to get the project completed.  We may need to wait a bit longer for the Northwest Skywalk Passage however, due to weather and what the DTA  says is shortage of skilled labor.

This is the latest information we've received from Heath Hickok, Director of Marketing at the DTA.

They need those skilled labor workers to help in the reconstruction of the the passageway.  They had intended to have the Skywalk’s opening date on September 22, now a new date for the opening has been set for October 8, 2015. Note that the scheduled opening for the main DTC is still set for early January, 2016.

The Northwest Passage Skywalk links downtown Duluth hotels and businesses to the DECC and Canal Park area that is always busy with tourists, conventions, different sporting events and where a lot of downtown employees park.  I was surprised to see that the reconstruction of the elevated sSkywalk over I-35 and frontage roads is worked on 24-hours, 7-day a week.

Of course, because of the roadway they are working over, there are many regulations and restrictions in place and those require the use of skilled labor from different trades that are working on the project virtually at the same time. According to Heath Hickok, the Director of Marketing at the DTA, subcontractors have experienced difficulties in attracting the staffing needed to complete the project by the September 22nd target date, thus the delay.

Because of this delay, the DTA will continue to operate their daily shuttle service between the DECC parking lot and the downtown area until the new opening date of October 8th and all freeway lane closings should end by next Saturday, September 19.

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.