New Round of Twin Ports Interchange Closures Hit This Week

The Twin Ports Interchange project in the 'can of worms' area of Duluth continues to move forward and soon motorists will be faced with a new round of road closures.

While many motorists have steered clear of that area altogether if they can help it, it is still a busy area and all the detours and closures can be a challenge to keep track of.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced the following closures will impact the area beginning Wednesday, August 11:

• Southbound Highway 53 to southbound I-535 will close. The signed detour will follow southbound Highway 53 to 21st Avenue West, to West 1st Street, to Lower Piedmont, to Garfield Avenue, and onto southbound I-535.
• Southbound 53 to northbound I-35 will close. The signed detour will follow southbound Highway 53 to eastbound Highway 194/Central Entrance to southbound Mesaba Avenue, to West 1st Street, to 6th Avenue West, to West Michigan Street, to 5th Avenue West, and onto northbound I-35.

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When it's all said and done, the Twin Ports Interchange Project, which will reconstruct the I-35/I-535/Hwy 53 interchange, looks to improve safety by:

1. Providing a new conventional design
2. Relocating all exits and entrances to the right side of the roadway
3. Improving merging sight distance and eliminating merge conflicts
4. Eliminating weaving problems near the interchange
5. Providing lane continuity for through I-35 traffic
6. Replace aging infrastructure
7. Improve freight mobility

The estimated total cost for the project is $343 million.

Curious what that area may look like upon its completion? MnDOT produced the video below to give motorists a general idea.

You can follow the button below to access a map of all construction projects underway, or soon to be underway, in Duluth.

If you're traveling in the area, plan for alternate routes and allow for extra time to get through this area as it will be a work in progress for some time.

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