Multiple Highway 53, 73 projects will disrupt St. Louis County traffic

Three road projects are tightening the squeeze on summer traffic from West Duluth to Cromwell, and the first pinch point is the west side. Westbound Highway 194 is closed between West Superior Street and West 1st Street for the first phase of bridge repair work tied to Highway 194, I-35 and Superior Street. That phase is scheduled to run through late July, while the full project stretches into October.

The most disruptive local detour in Duluth is the temporary shutdown of 24th Avenue West between Eighth and Ninth streets. The city closed the 800 block Monday, June 22, and expects to keep it shut through Saturday, June 27 for pavement restoration. Upbound traffic is being sent along West Third Street, North 27th Avenue West and West 10th Street, while downbound traffic is routed via Superior Street, West 10th Street, North 27th Avenue West and West Third Street. For residents and businesses that rely on quick movement between West Duluth neighborhoods and the central city, that closure changes one of the everyday links across the west side.

Farther north, Highway 73 near Cromwell remains in the middle of a longer sequence of work. MnDOT says the stretch between Highway 210 and Villa Vista Circle was closed for railroad crossing work and storm sewer work tied to Carlton County’s shared-use trail project, then lifted Friday, June 19 at noon for the weekend and put back in place Monday, June 22. Traffic there is now being handled with lane shifts, flagging operations and a pilot car, and the job is expected to continue through early September. A separate Highway 73 pavement preservation project south of Cromwell is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 through Friday, June 26, with permanent pavement markings planned for the week of July 6.

North of Cotton, Highway 53 is also getting sealcoat work from Monday, June 22 through Thursday, June 25. MnDOT says single-lane traffic in both directions will be in place during the project window, adding another slowdown for drivers moving across the Central Lakes area and the broader Northland.

Among the overlapping projects, the Highway 194, I-35 and Superior Street bridge repair is the longest-running local fix and the one likely to deliver the biggest payoff once it is finished. MnDOT says the 2026 construction season includes just over 200 planned road projects statewide, plus 51 more involving airports, water ports, railroad crossings and transit. The agency says the work is meant to improve safety, mobility, smoother pavement and connectivity, and it is urging drivers to slow down, avoid distractions and check travel information before heading out.