Long-term closure scheduled for Brighton Beach

The City of Duluth will temporarily close Brighton Beach (Kitchi Gammi Park) to users beginning on Monday, August 9. According to City officials, construction will begin on the Lakewalk extension through the park.

Patrick Loomis, project engineer, said, "It’s been a long time. We’re anxious to make a safe connection up here and get people through the park on a bike trail. It’s the final leg of the Lakewalk Trail."

Officials say the Brighton Beach Mini-Master Plan recomends the extension of the Lakewalk, relocation of the road to move it away from the shoreline, and restoration of the shoreline to better endure Lake Superior storms. The Plan was adopted in August of 2019.

"There was a lot of community input in this plan," Cliff Knettel, senior park planner, shared. "Hopefully the community will be patient, and it will be well worth the wait when it’s done."

The initial closure includes all Brighton Beach vehicular and trail access, parking, and amenities including play areas, water access, and pavilions due to construction and heavy equipment usage. The park is scheduled to reopen for paddlers, cyclists, and pedestrians in approximately 12 weeks, or the end of October.

Motor vehicle access to the park, including parking, will not be restored until the road reconstruction project has been completed in the spring of 2023. "There will be dedicated parallel parking, which will increase the parking substantially, and the road will be in one direction," Knettel added.

The only access to Kitchi Gammi Park will be via Lake Superior, the Lakewalk, and the Brighton Beach Hiking Trail.

Brighton Beach will close in its entirety in the spring of 2022 due to shoreline restoration, construction, and installation of new
park amenities.

City official say no events, programming, or reservations will be scheduled to take place at Brighton Beach until spring of 2023 at the earliest.