Highway 61 Revisited: A vision to replace I-35 in Duluth

What started as one student's seemingly far-fetched idea to remove Interstate 35 from downtown Duluth is picking up momentum. The plan is part of a growing nationwide movement to convert freeways into urban boulevards. The idea would take years to actually happen. But backers say now is the time to lay the groundwork for it.

[atomahawk]

the freeway and tunnels are amazing into downtown. I hope this never happens.

[SlowedByCinnamxn]

Don't remove an INTERSTATE Highway, instead add more tunnels like there already has been 4 of them.

[nonenoneonenonenone]

People get these ridiculous notions, then lots of money and time gets wasted on them. The only thing you can do is cover it over.

[rodgerjontre]

Probably won’t happen due to the fact that the can of worms interchange project only a mile or two south of canal park will be completed soon.

[cosmiccharlie]

Way back when they should have made the road up the shore much further inland where the creeks and rivers are narrower and easier to build bridges across

[michaelelling]

Anyone remember what it was like previously? Pre 35 and the tunnels, getting through Duluth was an absolute nightmare during tourist season. Pedestrians were getting hit on superior street. They show the lake avenue bridge aas this disconnect between downtown duluth and canal park, there's literally right next to it, going over that first tunnel a giant park, paved trails connecting everything. The kid that dreamt this up, said it came to him one toime when he was walking across the lake avenue bridge and almost got it, as he was coming from down town. All he had to do was take the lakewalk connector, it's right there, he literally had to walk right by it. This is a terrible idea.

[learnallican]

I think we need more roads in America not less. Why do we even have bike lanes in a city with snow 9 months out of year?

[localClient]

Someone please calculate the air pollution from the hundreds of vehicles backed up wait for a pedestrian to use a crosswalk. Yes let's replace an inconvience (using the existing pedestrian bridges) with an even larger problem - i.e. congestion and air pollution.

[nonenoneonenonenone]

Van Der Hagen is a fool. Too young to know how traffic was before 35 was built. It took forever to get through central Duluth on Superior Street, which was choked with traffic. It cost a fortune to design and build the freeway. Spend another fortune to change it? No. Waste of money. Bridges are all you need for access. What was there before was warehouses and ugly industrial land, nothing special.