Lakewalk Transportation & Resiliency Improvements
Project Overview:
The Lakewalk has experienced damage from past storm events and will experience future damage unless the City acts to ensure its long-term resiliency by mitigating the impacts of future storm events. The Lakewalk Transportation & Resiliency Improvement project spans the corner of the Lake to 26th Avenue East and will include shoreline restoration and enhancements, trail relocation and reconstruction, ADA accessibility improvements, including a bypass trail adjacent to Leif Erikson Park, improved wayfinding and connections between downtown and the Lakewalk, and implementation of eight pause areas.
Project Update:
Planning for the Lakewalk Renewal was completed in December 2021. The project has been designed, reviewed and approved by state and federal agencies, and is anticipated to move forward with bidding in July 2026. The phasing and timing is not yet known and will depend on the contractor selection. The heavy use of this portion of the Lakewalk will certainly make this project and associated detours more complex with disruptions to multimodal commuters, visitors, and residents that use and enjoy this stretch of the Lakewalk. The short-term disruption will result in a much-improved Lakewalk.
Funding Source:
In July 2023, the City of Duluth was awarded an $8.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) to support Lakewalk transportation and resiliency improvements.
In November 2023, the City of Duluth was also awarded a grant of $2.05 million from the Minnesota Department of Transportation Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Technical Assistance Program.
Additional project support includes $2 million from city bonding that was designated for storm repair.
Important Documents:
