Busy E Superior Street now under construction

One of the busiest streets on the eastern end of Duluth is getting a makeover.

Work started Monday on E Superior Street between 45th and 60th Ave.

"It’s just in rough shape from water damage. We redid the water main with new anodes and have lined it and upgraded a lot of the storm and line storm and sanitary," Project Engineer Patrick Loomis said, "and so the street is due for a final process to finish the driving surface up for people."

Loomis said traffic control is the biggest challenge with the project.

"Superior and London Road are kind of your only ways in and out of town going up the North Shore," he said, "so whenever you do work on London Road or Superior, you’re throwing that traffic to the other road."

But crews will try to keep as much of the road open for as long as they can. Phase One includes removing curbs and sidewalks and pouring concrete. Loomis anticipated that will take 4-6 weeks.

"We’ll have moving detours as we’re doing removals and different work that they need to watch for that’ll change daily and even hourly," Loomis said.

After, they’ll move to the road construction, taking out 18 inches of the street and redoing the aggregate and pavement. They’re also adding pedestrian ramps and improving ADA components.

Yarn Harbor is a local business on the 4600 block of E Superior St. Owner Kathy Thomas said she rarely uses the road.

"It’s one of those things where you kind of learn where the bigger bumps are and drive accordingly," she said.

She’s not looking forward to having the high-traffic street in front of her shop closed, but she’s glad to have a parking lot and entrance around back. And she has faith her customers will still find her.

"It’s always nice to have a fresh new road," Thomas said. "To be able to drive to work or down to the next shop without the bumpity-bump, it’s always worth it."

The Lakewalk will not be impacted, and parking is not expected to change with the project’s completion. Crews hope that will happen by mid-October.

A weekly construction meeting happens at 9 a.m. Tuesdays on the Lakewalk side of 53rd Ave. E.