Get ready for some slowdowns, folks. Starting this Thursday, September 25, the Sixth Avenue East reconditioning project is leveling up its operations, according to an announcement from the City of Duluth, heralding shifting lane closures and some side street shutdowns between Second and Ninth Streets, and an overlap on Central Entrance stretching from Mesaba Avenue to Ninth Street. Drivers, you're getting a heads-up to anticipate these changes during your commutes and maybe find some alternate routes for the next couple of weeks.
Already, there's an ongoing closure in the area from Fourth to Ninth Streets on Sixth Avenue E, but you're about to see it get a wee bit more complicated, as an additional clump between Second and Third Streets will close briefly; those passing through MN-194 near Mesaba Avenue, might also encounter sporadic lane closures as this whole reconditioning hustle bustles on—it was detailed in a city publication, so mark your calendars and plan your detours.
This isn't just some touch-up work; the City of Duluth has charted out a pretty comprehensive plan for Sixth Avenue E. They're laying down a bituminous underseal for starters, which is a fancy way of saying they're working to give the road a longer life before the next pothole party. Then comes the fresh asphalt to round out the surface work. With the city's pulse on progress, they're aiming to wrap this up mid-October, so there's a bit of light at the end of the traffic tunnel.
But the project isn't just a road facelift—it’s a multi-feature upgrade with new traffic signals, street resurfacing that stretches out from Second to Ninth Street, and right up Central Entrance to Mesaba Avenue. There are also accessible sidewalk replacements on the dock. Those navigating the Sixth Avenue region will be guided by a crisp new center median island between Fifth and Ninth Streets once everything's said and done, and the whole design includes a lane reconfiguration that promises a safer, smoother commute. Duluthians, you might hit some orange cones and brake lights now, but the city assures that your patience will be rewarded with smoother driving ahead, the details of which were outlined in the aforementioned document.
