Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

I-35 pedestrian bridge

St. Louis County

Traffic Impacts

I-35 will be fully closed for pedestrian bridge demolition starting on Friday, June 12 at 10 p.m. and lasting until Monday, June 15 at 5 a.m. Traffic will be detoured to I-535 to Garfield Avenue to Railroad Street to 5th Avenue W during this time.

No work will occur during Grandma's Marathon weekend.

During construction, motorists travelling on I-35 can expect lane shifts. There will be limited single lane closures and several overnight full closures later in the summer.

Pedestrians will be detoured starting the morning of June 12 until October 2026. Three different detour stages will be used based on other area projects. Exact dates of stage changes are to be determined. The first stage will start on June 12 and follow the City of Duluth's Cross City trail detour. Detour maps are below.

Learn more about MnDOT's Hwy 194 Mesaba bridges project.
Learn more about the City of Duluth's West Superior Street project.

A graphic of the pedestrian bridge detour route that will be in place in June 2026.

Pedestrian detour route for June 2026. Click image for full-size image

A graphic of the pedestrian detour route that will be in place from July to August 2026.

Pedestrian detour route from July to mid-August. Click image for full-size image

A graphic of the pedestrian detour route between August and October.

Pedestrian detour route for August through October. Click image for full-size image

About this project

A rendering of the pedestrian bridge over I-35/Mesaba Avenue interchange.

Click image for full-size image

The pedestrian bridge over the I-35/Mesaba Avenue interchange in Duluth will be replaced in 2026.

This project is being delivered using the Design-Build contracting method, which allows for increased flexibility and collaboration between the designer and the contractor. While this approach can accelerate project delivery and improve coordination, it also means that design-build activities are already underway and certain schedules for design deliverables and construction milestones are managed at the contractor’s discretion. As a result, project timelines may shift as work progresses, and MnDOT’s ability to provide updates will depend on the contractor’s schedule.

A visual quality committee met regularly in 2023 to develop design guidance for this project. There will be decorative elements incorporated into the bridge.

Public meeting

MnDOT held a public meeting on Aug. 9, 2023, in the Lincoln Park Community Center to discuss the pedestrian bridge project. MnDOT gathered information on concerns with the existing bridge.