3 October 2023
DULUTH Mayor Emily Larson laid out detailed road construction plans for the coming year at a Tuesday afternoon news conference in the city’s West Duluth tool house.
In all, Larson expects 19 miles of city streets to be improved next year, adding that she thinks the city might even be able to push that number to 20. The 2024 list of projects is more ambitious, as the city completed 14 miles of work this year.
In all, the city plans to spend about $14 million on street improvements in 2024.
The funding will come from three sources:
$8 million from a dedicated sales tax. $2 million in savings from prior years. $4 million from the city’s general fund reserves.
“What we’d like to do is just get a big critical mass of streets done,” Larson said. She has pledged to improve 50 miles of roads in the next three years.
A map of the roads slated for improvements next year is available at duluthmn.gov, the city website.
In 2017, about 70% of local voters participating in a referendum supported the city adopting a special sales tax that would be earmarked exclusively to improve the quality of Duluth’s streets.
“Not only are we funding streets intentionally and differently using dedicated funds, but we are doing our streets in partnership with our public utilities, working with the county and working with the state,” Larson said. “So, that when they’re going into a neighborhood with one of their projects, we’re looking at how we can bring best value to that neighborhood by surrounding that neighborhood with some ancillary projects.”
City Engineer Cindy Voigt said a number of factors went into determining which city streets to target next year. But she identified four key criteria:
Pavement condition. Opportunities to reduce ongoing maintenance and utility costs. Avoiding areas where lead water service lines are slated for replacement the following year. Achieving a fair and equitable distribution of work across the city, while also clustering work to maximize efficiency.
While Jim Benning, Duluth’s director of public works and utilities, said nearly 20 miles of improved city streets will be a welcome development, he noted the city remains tasked with maintaining yet another 480-some miles of road.
The city will take public input on the slate of proposed 2024 projects at a pair of public meetings both online and in-person Thursday. The online meeting will begin at noon, and the in-person meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Duluth City Hall Room 330. Find login information for the online meeting under “press releases” at the city’s website.
2024 Proposed Street Preservation Locations Meadow Street from Midway Avenue to Boundary Avenue. Brooks Street, from Midway Avenue to Boundary Avenue. Vinland Avenue alley, from Boundary Avenue to 200 feet east. Main Street, from 64th to 66th avenues west. West Sixth Street, from 11th to 10th avenues west. Seventh Street, from 13th to 14th avenues east. North Lake Ave, Mesaba to 11th Street. West Sixth Street, from 10th Avenue West to 466 feet east of Eighth Avenue West. Sixth Avenue East, Second Street to the copper top church. 131st Avenue West, Highway 23 to Water Street. Water Street, 130th Avenue West to easternmost dead end. North 11th Avenue East, from Ninth Street to Skyline Parkway. Chester Parkway, from Belmont Road alley to Skyline. West Fifth Street, from Skyline Parkway to 10th Avenue West. Eden Lane, Parkland Avenue to Belmont Road. West Fifth Street. from 10th Avenue West to Sixth Avenue West. East 10th St, from Seventh to Eighth avenues east. Eighth Avenue East, Ninth Street to 120 feet north of 10th Street. West 13th Street, from Highway 53 to dead end on the east. West Fourth Street, from 40th Avenue West to dead end on the east. West Fifth Street, 40th Avenue West to dead end on the east (Merritt Creek). 38th Avenue West, Grand Avenue to Second Street. 39th Avenue West Superior Street to Fourth Street. Myrtle Place, Central Entrance to Myrtle Street. West Myrtle Street, Central Entrance to Basswood Avenue. West 12th Street, Highway 53 to dead end on the east. West 11th Street, Highway 53 to 22nd Avenue West. 22nd Avenue West, West 11th Street to West 10th Street. North 80th Avenue West, from Grand Avenue to Knowlton Boulevard. North 84th Avenue West, from Grand Avenue to Coleman Street. Como Avenue, from Willow to southern dead end. East Gilead, Arlington to North Blackman. East Locust, Arlington to North Blackman. Spirit Drive, Grand Avenue to Roosevelt Street. 57th Avenue West, from Nicollett to Roosevelt. 41st Avenue West, from Eighth Street to dead end on the north. West Fourth Street, from 40th to 44th avenues west. North 81st Avenue West, from southern dead end to northern dead end. Lawn Street, from Boundary Avenue to 87th Avenue West. Midway Avenue, from Vinland to Lawn Street. West Fifth Street, from 40th to 41st avenues west. North 57th Avenue West, from Grand to Cody. North 56th Avenue West, from Grand Avenue to Elinor Street. East 10th Street, from 14th Avenue East to Parkland. 14th Avenue East, from Ninth Street to northern dead end. Covent Place from 54th Avenue East to easter dead end. Hartley Road, from Arrowhead to Woodhaven Lane. Woodhaven Lane, from Hartley Road to Arrowhead. North 51st Avenue East, from Norwood to Ivanhoe. Kingston, from western dead end to eastern dead end. North 52nd Avenue East, from Idlewild to Woodlawn. Idlewild, from 51st to 54th avenues east. North 54th Avenue East trom Idlewild to Covent Place. East Fifth Street, from 15th to 17th avenues east. Crosley Avenu, from Avondale to Oakley Street. Oneida Street, from 43th to 45th avenues east. Vermillion Road, from Snively to Oxford. Norwood, from52nd to 54th avenues east. Garden Street, from 19th Avenue East to Eighth Street. East Seventh Street, from 16th to 19th avenues east. East Ninth St, from 18th to 19th avenues east. 17th Avenue East, from Fourth to Sixth streets. East Sixth St., from 15th to 19th avenues east. Old Howard Mill, from 36th Avenue East to Rustwood. Crescentview, from 37th Avenue East to Pinewood Lane. Rustwood, from Old Howard Mill to Valley Drive. 17th Avenue East, from Sixth to Eighth Street. Ninth Street, from 19th to Garden Street. Belmont, from Parkland Avenue to Chester Parkway. Parkland Avenue, from 10th Street to Belmont. 16th Avenue East, from Fourth Street to Eighth Street.]]>