Lengthy Closure Of Sizable Part Of Duluth’s Lakewalk For Months-Long Project Now Underway
Whether you're a local or visitor to the area who enjoys spending time on Duluth's Lakewalk, a sizable portion of it is now closed until well into this fall, and then will be closed again next year.
City officials announced yesterday that Duluth's most popular walking and biking path will see more than a half-mile section closed starting today (August 18), which will create impacts not only for locals, but also for visitors during the rest of the 2026 summer and fall tourism season and then again for nearly all of 2027.
There are additional areas that will be closed later this fall as part of the project as well.
The reason for the closures? A continuation of work that has been done on other places along Duluth's Lake Superior shoreline. Here's what you need to know.
Why is the Duluth Lakewalk being closed?
The City of Duluth will continue the next phase of its Lakewalk and Coastal Improvements Project. That is the very same project that led to the improvements seen along the Lakewalk and shoreline in Canal Park a few years ago.
The reason for this work is in response to storm damage from strong winds and large waves a few years ago. The photo below is an example of some of the damage done along parts of the shoreline.
The improvement project further restores areas damaged from those storms while also putting measures in place to make the shoreline and Lakewalk more resilient to future storms.
What parts of the Duluth Lakewalk will be closed?
The section of the Duluth Lakewalk that is closed now through the end of October and again for much of next year is the portion between Leif Erikson Park and Water Street, as seen in the map below.
The area in red is the section of the Lakewalk that is now closed, and the green route is the designated detour.
The detour, which is the same route for both directions, is as follows:
Westbound traffic: Lakewalk -> South 23rd Avenue East -> South 21st Avenue East -> London Road -> Rose Garden -> Leif Erikson Park
Eastbound traffic: Leif Erikson Park -> Rose Garden -> London Road -> South 21st Avenue East -> South 23rd Avenue East -> Lakewalk
The other parts of the Lakewalk that will be closed are at Endion Station and at approximately 27th Avenue East (northeast of the London Road underpass), which is expected to happen sometime in September.
How long will these Lakewalk closures last?
The section now closed and the areas that will close in September are all expected to reopen by the end of October for a temporary pause in work for the winter.
The Lakewalk will remain open through the winter months until sometime in April or May of 2027 (depending on the weather), when these areas will re-close for work to continue for the 2027 construction season.
This work will continue through the remainder of 2027, with most of the work expected to be done by December of 2027, and any remaining work being completed in the spring of 2028.
The US Army Corps of Engineers earlier this year completed their part of this shoreline project, doing work near the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and Aerial Lift Bridge through 2025 and into 2026 to bolster the shoreline against waves and improve the public areas in the process. Here's a look at that completed project, which wrapped up in May of 2026.
First Look At Newly Reopened Canal Park In Duluth After Lengthy Construction Project
Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth
