DULUTH — Despite concerns and objections raised by neighbors, city councilors voted Monday to grant municipal consent for a state project that could reshape London Road for years to come.
But the reimagined road, including proposed roundabouts at 26th and 40th avenues east, continues to rile opponents concerned about potential negative impacts it could have on access and safety, particularly for residents of Ecumen Lakeshore, an assisted-living and senior care facility at 4002 London Road.
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Addressing the council, Blaine Gamst, executive director of the local Ecumen facility, said, “Lakeshore has been a cornerstone of this community for the last 93 years. Today, I stand before you to express our deep concerns about the impact the London Road project roundabout may have on the essential services we provide to older adults of Duluth and its surrounding communities.”
Gamst noted that Ecumen Lakeshore serves more than 300 elderly clients daily and said: “This project poses a significant threat to the well-being of our residents and the services we offer.”
He said Ecumen’s concerns revolve around the disruption of building a roundabout at its doorstep and the continued safety impact of the reconfigured road without a stoplight as part of the mix.
Four homes on the upper side of London Road would need to be removed to make way for the roundabout at 40th Avenue East.
Alice Tibbets, a representative of a group called We Walk in Duluth, which promotes both pedestrian- and bike-friendly streets, voiced concerns about a proposed roundabout at 26th Avenue East.
“In the current design, eastbound bicyclists will lose the bike lane at the intersection of 26th. This includes on- and off-ramps to the freeway. And this gap creates unsafe conditions, as we bicyclists are forced into the left lane while vehicles merge into the right lane from the freeway,” she said.
MnDOT Project Engineer Tom Lamb agreed the junction of London Road with traffic spilling off of Minnesota Highway 61 does create challenges.
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“There’s a lot going on at that intersection,” he said, noting that any crossing in front of the path of vehicles exiting the freeway is problematic, at best.
Lamb and a traffic engineer, Jim Miles, defended the reasonability and safety of MnDOT’s proposed plans for London Road.
In considering the proposal, 1st District City Councilor Gary Anderson said, “What it comes down to for me is this project is not just about those of us here today, but those of us who will be here for generations ahead of us.
“So, I would encourage approval of this resolution tonight, with the knowledge that the state of Minnesota will continue to do the good work that they have done to engage with the community as this project moves forward,” he said.
MnDOT officials have met eight times with Ecumen staff, noted 2nd District Councilor Mike Mayou.
While the council municipal consent resolution passed Monday demonstrates support for MnDOT’s design concept, Mayou said: “Nothing is necessarily final with every aspect of this plan. But we are kind of saying we agree with the concept of having roundabouts at these intersections and the corridor as a whole.”
The council passed the municipal consent resolution on an 8-0 vote Monday, with 4th District Councilor Hannah Alstead absent.
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If approved and funded, the London Road project is expected to occur over two construction seasons between 2025 and 2026.
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