It looks slow, but it's definitely part of the fast progress being made at the Twin Ports Interchange project.

Earlier this week, officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation shared video of the start of the paving process on the lanes that will eventually become the northbound side of I-35 within that project area.  Surface pavement means that the work crews are done with the below-surface prep in that area.

Even though the entire project won't be finished for another two years, this particular pavement work is part of the larger effort to get those lanes in that area open to traffic.

It's always impressive to watch the paver machinery - which lays down an entire surface area over both lanes at the same time.  In the video, you can watch the advance crew - in front of the paver -  placing reinforcement rod down, raking and prepping, and then the dump truck unloading the raw asphalt material.  Then, the paver crosses over the raw asphalt material compressing and smoothing the surface at the same time.

Watch the video for yourself:

At a current estimated cost of $343 million, the Twin Ports Interchange (Can of Worms) project will stretch into 2024.  As one of the largest (if not the largest) state projects of all time, the work will unbundle the complicated intersections where I-35 intersects with Highway 53, and the Blatnik Bridge.  The new design will eliminate some of the blind spots on the ramps that have long been a safety concern.  It will also replace the aging infrastructure - that dates back to the original installation of I-35 in Duluth in the mid-1960's.  And, it will allow for improved freight mobility - so that large cargo can be moved from the port area through Duluth to where it needs to go.

You can get all of the details about the Twin Ports Interchange project on the Minnesota Department of Transportation's website.  Click here for details.

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