St. Louis County Announce Reopening Of Midway Rd, N Cloquet Rd

Whether you live in the area or need to travel around the area, the closure of the intersection of Midway Road and North Cloquet Road just west of Proctor has been an inconvenience for motorists and locals through the summer.

Crews got to work on the project late this spring, forcing drivers in the area to re-route through Proctor as work was done to improve this intersection and the surrounding area.

The improvements were all aimed at improving safety, with one of the core elements of the project being to lower the profile of the intersection of Midway Road and North Cloquet Road by about 10 feet to greatly improve intersection sight distance.

As a part of that effort to lower the intersection, an 'explosive' video earlier this summer shared by St. Louis County officials showed crews using dynamite to make clearing rocks and soil easier. I got a pretty good chuckle listening to the crews reacting to the blast. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a quick watch.

WATCH: St. Louis County Officials Share Video Of Blowing Up Road Bed On Midway Road

Other improvements at the intersection included adding left and right turn lanes on Midway Road, adding roadway lighting at the intersection for increased safety and visibility, and replacing the guardrail south of North Cloquet Road on Midway Road.

Today (August 18), St. Louis County officials shared that the intersection has been reopened, 10 days before the anticipated project end date of August 28. In announcing this news, they also shared some photos that showed the lowered road surface and new turn lanes.

They're not wrong about something nice about fresh paint on brand new blacktop. It does look pretty sharp. Even better, it's now open for driving once again. No more detour!

Well, at least no more detour there. There are still plenty of other road projects around the Northland that will continue into the fall. Then, as that wraps up, the other Northland season arrives. You know, the one with the four-letter 's' word I will avoid saying right now.

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As that season ends, we'll see an even bigger and longer detour in the Twin Ports area - the Blatnik Bridge replacement project. What the new bridge will look like and what new features it will have were just recently revealed. Here's a look:

What Will The New Blatnik Bridge Replacement Look Like?

The long-standing Blatnik Bridge between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, will be replaced, with work set to begin in February or March of 2027.

The new bridge is expected to open by October 31, 2031, with the completion of the entire project (including miscellaneous work like landscaping) completed by June 30, 2032.

Here's a look at what the new bridge will look like and some of the new features it will offer.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper