Reconstruction of Selmser Avenue awarded climate grant
CLOQUET — The city has been awarded over $400,000 to reconstruct stormwater drainage along Selmser Avenue to combat heavy rains, which have been more frequent in Minnesota due to climate change.
The Cloquet City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to accept a $444,000 grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to reconstruct drainage infrastructure along Selmser Avenue from 14th to 20th streets.
“We were looking at our drainage infrastructure around town, our storm sewer systems and areas that might be undersized and need improvement with heavier rains occurring more frequently,” City Engineer Caleb Peterson said.
The stormwater improvement will be just one part of a major $2.56 million street improvement project along Selmser Avenue scheduled for 2026, which Peterson said has been identified as one of the worst roads in Cloquet.
Because Selmser Avenue is located along the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s state aid system, the city will receive an additional $1.2 million in state aid to fund the non-grant-funded portion of the reconstruction project. City officials anticipate a further $921,600 in water and sanitary utility repairs.
“I’m practically doing cartwheels over this one because I live in that worst section,” Councilor Sheila Lamb said.
The City Council also unanimously approved the purchase of the vacant former Tap on 33 bar located near the intersection of Selmser and Lake avenues for nearly $194,000 to realign the road with Highway 33 as part of a major reconstruction of the highway in 2028.
Gary Meader / Duluth Media Group
City Administrator Tim Peterson said turning on and off Selmser Avenue from Highway 33 is a safety hazard. By acquiring and demolishing the building, city officials will be able to reroute the intersection off Highway 33 to create a better angle to enter Selmser Avenue.
“We are going to change the way that this intersection works for safety, it will move it off of the highway, create a better angle to get onto Selmser and a better angle to get onto the highway,” Tim Peterson said.
The reconstruction of Highway 33 will span Big Lake Road to the St. Louis River bridge. Construction is expected to last two years.
MnDOT completed a corridor study of the area in 2023 that found that collisions are common at the nearby Carlton Avenue intersection due to obstructed lines of sight.
An initial proposal to install roundabouts at the intersections of Carlton and Cloquet avenues was met with public pushback. MnDOT instead opted to replace the traffic signals and alter turn lanes.
Macklin Caruso is a reporter for the Cloquet Pine Journal. You can reach him at mcaruso@pinejournal.com or 218-461-8278.