Grand Avenue Road Construction Begins

The season of road construction is among us and today was the start of a two year project to make improvements to Grand Avenue.

The $16.8 million is projected to "provide a smoother driving surface, improved drainage and improved safety and pedestrian accessibility." According to MnDOT on an article from the Duluth News Tribune. Construction for this year plans on wrapping up by late October and traffic on Grand this summer will be single lane with occasional lane closures controlled by flaggers.

Improvements include: driving lanes will be repaved and reduced from 12 ft. wide to 11 ft. allowing more room for bike lanes on each side of the road. Highly visible crosswalks will also be added to improve pedestrian safety. Sidewalks will be included on both sides is a big plus in my book.  Americans with  Disabilities Act improvements will be made at intersections along with so many other improvements.

Like most people I'm not a fan of construction delays, but it looks like it'll all be worth it by the time construction is done. I grew up in the west Duluth area and I drive on Grand every day, so I'm definitely looking forward to the improvements. Information will also be updated on MnDOT's website weekly. Drive safe this summer and comment below to let me know what you think of the improvements.