St. Louis River Area of Concern Updates: Cross City Trail detour during Erie Pier remediation

DATE: 5/17/2021
SUBJECT: City, EPA announce Cross City Trail detour during sediment remediation project BY: Kate Van Daele, Public Information Officer

City, EPA announce Cross City Trail detour during sediment remediation project

“[Duluth, MN] Beginning at the end of June 2021, a portion of the Cross City Trail and adjacent city-owned land will be closed to accommodate work being done in the ponds behind Erie Pier. The two open water ponds are surrounded by a shallow marsh wetland in the St. Louis River Estuary. This area is within the boundaries of the St. Louis Area of Concern and contains contaminated sediment in the ponds and Shoppers Creek. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be implementing a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative sediment remediation project that will require a long-term closure and detour to a portion of the Cross City Trail.

The portion of the Trail that will be closed during the project is located off Ramsey Street below I-35 and stretches to South 40th Avenue West. The detour will direct trail users at Ramsey Street and Recycle Way to Mike Colalillo Drive. From here, users will follow Mike Colalillo Drive to Grand Avenue, where they will turn northeast on Grand Avenue and follow that until they reach North 34th Avenue West. Once they reach this location, users can turn south on North 34th Avenue and connect to West Superior Street, with the option of reconnecting to the existing Trail through Lincoln Park or passing over I-35 for a short while. Users should be advised that the Trail is again closed at 37th Avenue West and will need to turn around.

During the remediation, the closed portion of the Cross City Trail will be used to address approximately 45,000 cubic yards of material contaminated with heavy metals, manmade chemicals or PCBs, and dioxins. Removing the contaminated sediment will improve the aquatic environment and ultimately improve the health of the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. The detour around this work is anticipated to begin at the end of June 2021 and align with the closure of the trail and the beginning of the remediation project. The affected portion of the trail is expected to be closed until September of 2022. After the in-water work is complete and the contaminated sediment is transported off-site, the Trail and other impacted areas will undergo restoration and revegetation.

“The sediment remediation project in the ponds behind Erie Pier is an important piece of restoring and reinvesting in the waterfront in West Duluth,” Director of Parks, Properties, and Libraries Jim Filby-Williams said. “The City of Duluth is grateful to the EPA, MPCA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for taking on this project. This project is one more added investment in West Duluth that will encourage residents and visitors to enjoy and appreciate the Cross City Trail.”

The Duluth Cross City Trail has been partially constructed, and the remaining portions are in the design phase. When completed, the Trail will be a 10.3-mile multi-purpose, non-motorized, wheelchair accessible, paved trail system that connects the Lakewalk in downtown Duluth to the Munger Trail, as well as the Western Waterfront Trail, in western Duluth. The Duluth Cross City Trail will be a one-of-a-kind, off-road trail for non-motorized trail users of all ages and abilities.”