Portion of Blackmer Park to close temporarily

A portion of Blackmer Park will be closed for construction starting on Monday, August 28. There will be no public access permitted during construction. According to the Duluth Parks and Recreation, the northern portion of Blackmer Park in the Morgan Park neighborhood will close temporarily for construction of a portion of Waabizheshikana: The Marten Trail.

Parks and Rec says the temporary closure will include the parking area and the baseball field of Blackmer Park near Beverly Street. The project is expected to take approximately two weeks. Access to Blackmer Park will reopen after the portion of trail is complete. However the trail will remain closed until all construction on the trail segments are complete.

City officials say residents will notice an increased truck traffic between the US Steel site and Blackmer Park, along 88th Avenue West, Concord Street and 84th Avenue West.

US Steel is constructing the portion of Waabizheshikana in collaboration with the City of Duluth. The trail will connect to the planned extension of Waabizheshikana from Spring Street to Blackmer Park, which is currently in final design with construction expected to begin in 2024.