Big Changes Happening Now On Portion Of Duluth’s Skyline Parkway

The City of Duluth just announced a significant change to a popular stretch of Duluth's scenic Skyline Parkway.

City officials are starting work to convert a portion of the road into a one-way street as part of what they call a "demonstration project".

Here's what to know about the changes.

Where is Duluth's Skyline Parkway being converted to a one-way road?

One of the more popular stretches of Skyline Parkway, the loop around Enger Tower, is seeing a traffic conversion.

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The harbor-facing scenic portion of Skyline Parkway around Enger Tower is being converted to a one-way street as part of what city officials are calling a "demonstration project" in response to public feedback and recent accidents in the area.

In a release from the City of Duluth, they call it their next step in response to a pair of fatal crashes in February of 2024. One of the key concerns being addressed was related to pedestrian safety and vehicle speeds on the sharp curve near Twin Ponds and the "challenging intersection" with 5th Street.

READ MORE: The fascinating history behind Duluth's scenic Skyline Parkway

Access to both 5th Street and 6th Street was closed in 2024 to vehicles due to the challenging and dangerous nature of these intersections. Now, the next phase of their response is this project is what is being done this spring.

How long will this conversion project last?

The closure of the area marked in red above starts on Monday, May 12, and is expected to last about a week.

During the closure, Hank Jensen Drive will remain open to two-way traffic. This is the other road that loops around Enger Tower, between Enger Park and the golf course.

What other changes are being made to this stretch of Skyline Parkway?

In response to public concerns about pedestrian safety, the conversion of this part of Skyline Parkway will also include some features to improve pedestrian safety.

In addition to converting this stretch of road into a one-way street, there will be a designated pedestrian area for those on foot as well as on bicycles.

The project will also add two marked pedestrian crosswalks at trail crossings.

What is a "demonstration project?

Officials with the City of Duluth are calling this a "demonstration project". What does that mean?

They explain that this type of project is meant to be installed faster than most normal street projects, also having lower initial costs. The idea behind this is to prove a proposed concept while enacting a change in a way that can be easily reversed if needed.

The City of Duluth says there will be opportunities to provide feedback on this change after the changes are completed.

Initial comments on their social media post about the project are mixed. Many say this is a welcome, overdue change. While most of the comments are positive, a few people disagree with the change.