Lakewalk & Coastal Improvements
Project Overview:
The Lakewalk is a critical transportation route connecting neighborhoods, downtown Duluth, the Canal Park business district and the Lake Superior waterfront. 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 & Coastal Improvements project (state project #118-090-029) spans Endion Station at the corner of the Lake to roughly 27th 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 pause area updates and interpretive elements. An overview of the project is provided under the Important Documents section below: "August 12, 2026 - Parks and Recreation Commission Presentation".
Please direct project inquiries to Allison Brooks, Project Coordinator, at abrooks@duluthmn.gov or use the comment form at the bottom of this page.
Project Update:
Planning for this project was completed in December 2021. The project has been designed, reviewed and approved by state and federal agencies, and then bid in July 2026.
Staff are providing a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. The Commission meeting will start at 5:00 pm in Council Chambers located on the 3rd floor of City Hall. A copy of the presentation is provided in the Important Documents section below.
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:
The City of Duluth was awarded an $8.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and a matching grant of $2.05 million from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Technical Assistance Program for this project. Additional project support includes $2 million from city resources.
Grant Details: MnDOT Agreement No. 1059903, USDOT RAISE Grant and MnDOT IIJA Match Program Grant for the Lakewalk and Coastal Improvements Project
Agency Leadership: Cari Pedersen, Director of Public Works and Utilities, cpedersen@duluthmn.gov
Grant Manager: Duncan Schwensohn, Provisional Chief Engineer of Transportation, dschwensohn@duluthmn.gov
Contractor: Rachel Contracting, LLC
Timeline:
The City is working with the contractor to determine the timing and phasing of construction. Updates will be shared here as available. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2027.
Project Partners:
MN Department of Transportation
LHB, Inc.
Rachel Contracting, LLC
