Woodland Avenue in Duluth has been closed to through traffic between St. Paul Avenue and Northfield Street since July 9 and will now remain closed until August 10. It was initially expected to reopen by the end of July, but excessive rainfall has led to delays.
The upcoming phase of the project includes milling and paving this section of the road. It was concluded that conducting this work with partial lane closures and flagging would cause considerable delays and pose safety risks. Therefore, the extension of the road closure will ensure the safety of the public and construction workers, and reduce the total construction time on Woodland Avenue.
DTA buses will continue to operate on Woodland Avenue during the closure. All other vehicles are advised to use the designated detour via Snively Road, Martin Road, and Woodland Avenue. Access to Hartley will remain open, although the direction of access may change.
The closure is part of a broader initiative to repave around 1.5 miles of Woodland Avenue from Snively Road to Anoka Street, including the construction of new curbs and gutters. For enhanced safety, Woodland Avenue will be reconfigured from two lanes to one lane in each direction with a continuous center turn lane, and a new bike lane will be added.
Additional safety measures include improved pedestrian crossings at the Hartley Nature Center entrance and Minneapolis Avenue, along with a new sidewalk extending from the Hartley entrance to Northfield Street. The project is on track for completion in September.
