See The Huge Changes Made On Duluth’s Skyline Parkway

At the beginning of the week, the City of Duluth alerted the public to a temporary closure of a part of Skyline Parkway near Enger Tower.

The closure was to convert a stretch of the popular scenic roadway to a one-way road and add a designated pedestrian route, as well as a couple of marked pedestrian crossings.

As I shared earlier this week, the changes were prompted by a couple of fatal crashes in February of 2024. City officials made the decision to roll out a phased response that would address safety concerns along this busy roadway.

Skyline Parkway, especially in the area of Enger Tower, presents some safety challenges. That stretch of roadway sees a lot of driving automobile traffic, people parking their cars to look at the view, and individuals walking or riding their bikes.

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Futher complicating this busy area that often sees a lot of people is the limited visibility and road curves. When you add all of these factors together, a lot of community members felt something needed to be done to address the issue of safety in this area.

In response, the City of Duluth rolled out what they call a "demonstration project", which is essentially a low-cost solution that can be easily changed or reversed if needed to prove a proof of concept.

The other road that's part of the "Enger Tower Loop", Hank Jensen Drive, remains a two-way road. This road connects from Twin Ponds to the area not far from Enger Park Golf Course and driving range.

Now that the project is completed and the road is reopened, Duluth officials will soon look to the public for their input on the project.

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Most of the feedback I've seen on social media has generally been positive, with a general consensus that something needed to be done to address safety concerns. Despite that, there are critics of the changes.

Some people lament the overall change as unnecessary, while others are disappointed that the direction of the one-way road is the "wrong way". What they mean by this is that the one-way road goes southward, traveling away from the lake and the Aerial Lift Bridge.

Their argument is view of the lake and bridge is why most people like that stretch of road, and now people will have to look backwards to catch a glimpse while driving.

There are, by the way, two different places to park your vehicle and get out to look. They are located in the same general locations as the previous pull-out parking locations.

Here's a look at some photos along the route, highlighting some of the changes.