New Duluth Street Closures Near St. Mary’s Medical Center Demolition
In June, Essentia Health announced plans for the demolition of St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. A demolition process involving heavy equipment deconstructing the building, which will take approximately one year to complete.
Essentia warned at that time that motorists should prepare for traffic impacts in the area and this week, the City of Duluth gave a clear picture of what that looks like.
Beginning on August 12, the demolition work on the St. Mary’s Medical Center site led to the temporary closure of portions of East Fourth Street and Fourth Avenue East.
City officials note that these closures are necessary to safely begin demolition work on the building, including the removal of skywalks from the former building to surrounding campus buildings.
These closures are expected to provide significant traffic impacts and delays and, if possible, drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes to access local businesses in the closure area.
Road Closure Details Related To St. Mary's Medical Center Demolition
The closures will impact the 400 block of East Fourth Street, the 300 block of Fifth Avenue East, and the 300 block of Fourth Avenue East. These closures are expected to be in place until the end of August, but that is subject to change.
Below are the remaining street closures people in the area will need to navigate around.
Fourth Street Closure:
- Began: August 12, 2024
- Ends: August 31, 2024
Vehicle Detour: Drivers should detour using Fourth and Fifth Avenue East to
Fifth Street for the one block. The traffic signal at Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue East will be flashing red during this closure, making this intersection function as an all-way stop during the closure.
Pedestrian Detour: Pedestrians can access sidewalks and businesses on Fourth Street via Fifth Avenue E.
Fourth Avenue East Closure:
- Begins: August 15, 2024
- Ends: August 31, 2024
Vehicle Detour: The detour for vehicles will be the same as the Fourth Street closure. Again, that means drivers should detour using Fourth and Fifth Avenue East to
Fifth Street for the one block. The traffic signal at Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue East will be flashing red during this closure, making this intersection function as an all-way stop during the closure.
Pedestrian detour: Pedestrians are advised to utilize Third Avenue East to detour the work area. Pedestrian access will be severely limited during this time.
It's worth reiterating that these detours are expected to have a significant impact on the immediate area, and alternate routes are highly recommended.
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Residents are also advised that resurfacing work continues on Third Street in this area. Drivers and pedestrians should use caution in this area of downtown during the detours.
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