Ongoing Construction Takes Over UMD's Roads

Temporary stoplight causes backups due to road construction on Junction Ave. Photo by Finlee Matejcek

Junction Ave and W Saint Marie Street have been under construction since May 12, causing UMD students and faculty to face the difficulties of road closures, sidewalk closures and parking dismay.

Duncan Schwensohn, the Project Engineer for the Junction/St. Marie project, says this construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-to-late October.

Originally, the goal was to have the project completed before the start of the academic year but specially designed parts for the new duct bank caused delays, even with contractors working six days a week.

The brief gravel portion of Junction Ave is the result of the duct bank installation, which protects utility wires underground. If all goes to plan, the gravel patches will receive at least one layer of asphalt within the next few weeks.

The City of Duluth partnered with Minnesota Power for this project. They are working to install underground concrete vaults that are maintainable from the inside for easier fixing.

Part of the roadway is undergoing a full reconstruction while other parts are undergoing a mill and overlay. This is a process that takes off the top two inches of the existing asphalt and replaces it with a new wearing surface for a smoother ride. Some curb, gutter and storm sewer replacements are in the works as well. 

“It'll look like a brand new road after we’re all said and done,” Schwensohn said.

There will also be significant pedestrian improvements. Pedestrian crosswalks will lead to a new, wider sidewalk and the crosswalks themselves will become bump-outs. With bump-outs, the curb goes into the road further so pedestrians aren’t in the road as long. This shortens the distance to make crossing safer and subconsciously slows drivers down, as the road seems to appear narrower.

In classic Duluth style, the road construction doesn’t end here. Construction spanning from the College St. intersection to the Lot U parking lot will begin next week. Following this, construction at the Kirby Avenue intersection will begin later this year. Both will cause temporary closures but will not impact buses.