One Week After Ribbon-Cutting, Twin Ports Interchange Still Isn’t Open

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Congressman Pete Stauber, and other state and local leaders held a ribbon-cutting last Monday for the Twin Ports Interchange Project. News outlets in town were celebrating the fact that it's now open for the first time since 2021. But here's the problem. As of today, it still isn't open.

I'm just as excited as everyone else for it to be open. It's been a real pain in the bumper for the last few years trying to get around, especially if you commute across the Blatnik Bridge (which will be our next multi-year traffic headache).

Friday, I was driving from Superior to Duluth. Remembering that the ribbon cutting was held earlier this week, I thought, Oh, nice, I'll be able to get right up on Highway 53 going north. I entered the interchange and saw that concrete barriers were still at the exit for Highway 53. What?

Read More: Do We Really Need Two Bridges Connecting Duluth + Superior?

Call me crazy, but if you have a ribbon-cutting, shouldn't it be for when it's actually open, and not weeks before it's ready?

I had to search to find when they will actually be open. MPR noted in their coverage that the ramps and connections will be open on October 24.

So, just a friendly tip. Don't try to take the interchange until October 24th.