Northbound I-35 Closure Impacting Duluth Travel Begins Friday

Last Friday, Duluth drivers were faced with a Southbound I-35 closure related to the 'can of worms' project. This week there were will another closure, only this time it will impact drivers headed in the other direction.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced that on Friday, March 26, northbound I-35 will close near 27th Avenue West in Duluth. The closure will begin around 8:00 p.m. Friday evening and it's expected to continue through the evening of Saturday, March 27.

MnDOT says that during the closure, traffic will be routed up and back down the 27th Avenue West ramps. The reason for the northbound I-35 closure is to allow crews to continue to install bridge deck and girders for the new 27th Avenue West Bridge.

Beginning Monday, March 22,  crews will be working on the substructures for two of the four bridges connecting I-35 and Highway 53 as well as cofferdam installation for construction of the outlet section of the new Miller/Coffee Creek culvert.

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All of the work referenced above is related to the Duluth Interchange Project. The goal of the project, as stated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, is to "enhance safety by eliminating blind merges and left exits, replace aging infrastructure, and better accommodate freight movements through the interchanges next to the Clure Public Terminal."

In summary, the project will reconstruct I-35/I-535/Hwy 53 interchange to improve safety by:

• Providing a new conventional design
• Relocating all exits and entrances to the right side of the roadway
• Improving merging sight distance and eliminating merge conflicts
• Eliminating weaving problems near the interchange
• Providing lane continuity for through I-35 traffic