Duluth, Minnesota Superior, Wisconsin

Duluth, Minnesota And Superior, Wisconsin The Twin Ports in ATS.

Written, Illustrated, and Drawn by R. Sanford.

Table of Contents

3. Forward

5. Chapter 1: Key

5. Section 1.1: Job Sites, Dealerships, and Garages

12. Section 1.2: Man-made Landmarks

51. Section 1.3: Natural Landmarks

63. Chapter 2: Transportation

63. Section 2.1: Interstate Highways

64. Section 2.2: US Highways

65. Section 2.3: State Highways

67. Section 2.4: Miscellaneous Roads

78. Section 2.5: Railroads

80. Section 2.6: Air Traffic

81. Section 2.7: Maritime Traffic

Forward: a Very Brief (and Little Researched) History, and About the Map.

Duluth is built on what was, billions of years ago, the Superior Craton, one of the “foundations” of the North American continent. Interactions with other cratons resulted in the formation of the Canadian Shield, a large formation of rock in North America, featuring, at about 4 billion years old, some of the oldest naturally exposed rock on Earth. The North Shore Highlands are at the southern end of the Canadian Shield. Throughout prehistory a series of ice ages further shaped the highlands and the basin now filled by Lake Superior. At the end of the last ice age, this area, as well as northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, was made lively by boreal forests called the North Woods. The earliest known peoples to inhabit what are now the Twin Ports were the Dakota, the largest tribe of the Sioux Nation, which covered much of what is now Minnesota (which, incidentally, comes from the Dakota “mnisota,” meaning “sky-colored water”). The Ojibwe, migrating west from their homeland near the St. Lawrence River, reached the Dakota in the mid-17th century and engaged in a long war over northern Minnesota against them. During this war the first European landed at the head of Lake Superior; this was the French Sieur Daniel Greysolon du Luht, who, with representatives of the Ojibwe, traveled across the Great Lakes from Montreal in the early 18th century as an attempt to reach a peace deal between the rival tribes. This trip was unsuccessful, and the war continued until the mid-late 18th century, when the Ojibwe succeeded in pushing the Dakota south. At this point the English Northwest Trading Company took to establishing forts and trade routes in the area, one in what is now the Duluth neighborhood of Fond du Lac. In the early 19th century the American Trading Company took control of the area, razing the NWCo fort and building a new one in what is now Cloquet. US settlement of the area began in the early 19th century. Originally Duluth was a series of small towns that are now neighborhoods of the city,

industries at this natal time being farming, fishing, and logging. It was sometime in the mid 19th century that Jay Cooke built the LS&M railroad, which connected the early towns to the also-fledgling Minneapolis. At around this time, near the admitting of Minnesota to the Union in 1859, many of the central communities merged to form Duluth. At around the mid-late 19th century, with the discovery of great quantities of iron in the northeastern Minnesota, Duluth entered an age of prosperity, as well as a surge in immigrants, most coming from Scandinavia. At the turn of the century is was a bustling industrial city that was believed to soon rival Chicago and featured a great quantity of ornate architecture that has since been lost to time. At its height in the 1910s-20s Duluth was dubbed by many to be the “Zenith City,” at the top of the world, and was a significant center of industry and culture, adjacent Superior also reaching its height. The Twin Ports started to fall in the mid-20th century with economic crises, and, in the 1970s-early 80s, was considered by some to go the way of Detroit. Duluth saw a renaissance starting in the late 20th century with the revival of former industrial areas such as Canal Park and the nearby shore, as well as the extension of I-35 from Minneapolis and the addition of more green space. As of 2017, Duluth is a prosperous city thriving off of tourism for the most part. However, although it has been (and is being) revived, it is still a fraction of its former glory. Superior is also doing somewhat well, and the two cities maintain a healthy rivalry. As of 2016, Duluth had a population of over 86,000, making it the third largest city in Minnesota; Superior, meanwhile, had a 2016 population of over 26,000. This map, made with Google Maps and Paint.net, is drawn as if the American Truck Simulator (ATS) map was rendered in 1:1 scale. Since an actual in-game version will be smaller, some roads and locations will of course be left out. Shown here are possibilities for job sites, landmarks, and more. The reader will notice that some job sites, specifically construction projects, cannot coexist, since in real life they were active over different time frames; however, liberties have to be taken. Most of the roads shown here are indeed truck routes, as marked by the respective departments of transportation.

The map: https://i.imgur.com/pRo8sa5.png

Chapter 1: Key

Section 1.1: Job Sites, Dealerships, and Garages

All of these locations are only potential. It is perfectly understandable if this many cannot be rendered in this space in-game, or if other locations not listed here are chosen.

A: Company: Bitumen. Preset: Large road work site (like what is seen just west of Tucson in-game; no AI thru-traffic) Real-world counterpart: Highway 210 Reconstruction. This renovation of the highway followed the destructive flood of 2012, and was completed in the fall of 2017. For this and all other road work sites Sidump’r trailers are a must for ATS.

B: Coastline Mining. Small quarry (new preset, a small, simple quarry dug into a hill/mountain with no permanent structures). Unidentified quarry near Ely’s Peak, around 12398 Becks Rd.

C: Foundry, machinery factory (new company). Medium foundry/machinery factory (preset). ME Elecmetal.

D: Global Mills. Small food factory/supplier (new preset). Tate & Lyle.

E: 42 Print. Small warehouse (new preset). Superior Packaging Company. Not a printing company, but would accept and provide similar cargo types. Perhaps a new in-game company is in order?

F: Paper company (new company).

Large paper mill (new preset). Verso Duluth.

G: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Large supermarket (new preset). West Duluth Super One.

H: Menards parody (new company; Menards has over 300 locations in the US, most of them in the midwest; this company would be introduced with Wyoming, the western-most state with Menards stores). Large warehouse store. Menards.

I: Plaster and Sons. Small warehouse (new preset). Viking Electric Supply.

J: Sell Goods/Walbert. Warehouse/distributor. Bernick’s (vending machine supplier).

K: Plaster and Sons. Warehouse. Brock White Construction Materials.

L: Global Mills. Large food warehouse (new preset). Miners Distribution Center.

M: Coastline Mining. Ore storage and shipping (new preset). Hallett Dock.

N: International dealership (hopefully we can have International trucks by this point, if not then Kenworth could work here, since there is already a Peterbilt dealership in Superior). Maney International.

O: US Postal Service parody (new company).

Large warehouse (new preset). USPS.

P: Potential garage. ABF Freight.

Q: Voltison Motors. Car dealership. Kia of Duluth.

R: HMS Machinery. Medium construction equipment supplier (new preset). Ziegler CAT.

S: Sell Goods. Medium warehouse store. Goodwill.

T: Port of Duluth (new company). Large port facility, mixed freight (custom model). Port of Duluth. This part of the port moves general freight, as opposed to grain, ore, coal, and the like. This includes oversize and special cargo, typically wind turbine parts. I’m not sure if this terminal includes a rest area, but I included one for good measure.

U: Lumber company (new company). Sawmill (new preset). Duluth Timber Company.

V: Potential garage. Steve Foster Trucking.

W: Plaster and Sons. Construction project (either mid or late stage, possibly a new preset). Maurices Corporate Headquarters project. The maurices Building is 12 stories tall, and was built from mid-2014 to early 2016. Depending upon the game’s time setting it could be represented in-game as a building well into construction with steel being erected or as a nearly finished project. A new preset with a more compact delivery/loading area that extends into

the street may be in order, and would be welcome in the numerous large cities of the eastern US.

X: Bitumen. General work site (new preset, not on road). Sky Harbor Airport runway reconstruction.

Y: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Medium supermarket (new preset). Super One.

Z: Plaster and Sons. Construction project (either in the foundation or structure stages, no new preset necessary). Endi Apartments project.

AA: Bitumen. Large road work site. 4th Street Reconstruction. This renovation was completed in 2017, and unlike the MN 210 reconstruction, this project was more oriented towards widening the road for bike lanes and repairing winter damage. Despite what is shown on the map, the 4th Street project was procedural, only parts of the road closed at a time. I think many of my fellow north-midwesterners will agree that Bitumen sites should be very common in this part of the ATS map.

AB: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Medium supermarket. Super One.

AC: Aircraft company (new company). Small fabrication building (new preset). Cirrus Aircraft, a manufacturer of small private planes.

AD: Menards parody. Large warehouse store. Menards.

AE: Voltison Motors.

Car dealership (an auto parts store could be substituted). Kolar Auto World.

AF: Walbert. Large warehouse store. Walmart.

AG: Voltison Motors. Car dealership. Krenzen Automall.

AH: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Large supermarket. Super One.

AI: Charged. Large warehouse store (new preset). Target. In real life a Best Buy, which Charged parodies, is next door, but I went with Charged here since a Sell Goods is already nearby. Alternatively, a Target parody could be created.

AJ: Sell Goods. Large warehouse store. Shopko.

AK: Bitumen Large depot. Minnesota Department of Transportation.

AL: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Large supermarket. Super One.

AM: Plaster and Sons. Construction project (either preset). Bluestone Apartments Complex project.

AN: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Small supermarket.

Woodland Marketplace Foods.

AO: Possible truck dealership, any brand. Boyer Trucks.

AP: Gallon. Warehouse, factory (new preset). Amsoil.

AQ: USPS parody. Medium warehouse (new preset). FedEx Ground.

AR: Coastline Mining. Coal storage and shipping (new preset). Midwest Energy Resources.

AS: Global Mills. Large grain elevators (new preset). CHS.

AT: Peterbilt dealership. Allstate Peterbilt of Superior.

AU: Potential garage. Halvor Lines.

AV: HMS Machinery. Medium construction equipment supplier. Exodus Machine.

AW: Fraser Shipyards (new company; custom preset). Fraser Shipyards.

AX: Potential garage. Jeff Foster Trucking.

AY: Voltison Motors. Car dealership.

Benna Ford.

AZ: Walbert. Large warehouse store. Walmart.

BA: Menards parody. Large warehouse store. Menards.

BB: Sell Goods/Walbert. Warehouse/distributor. Superior Beverages.

BC: Potential garage. Wayne Transports Inc.

BD: Chemso. Large plant. Calumet Superior. This is actually a refinery, but that’s covered in the next job site.

BE: Gallon. Large refinery. Enbridge Energy.

BF: Eddy’s/Tidbit. Small supermarket. Super One.

BG: Coastline Mining. Ore storage and shipping. Allouez Taconite Facility.

BH: HMS Machinery. Large construction equipment supplier (new preset). Viant Crane. Here on the map I accidentally placed the marking a few blocks south of where the facility actually is.

BI: Bitumen. Small depot. Four Star Construction.

Section 1.2: Man-made Landmarks

1. Black Bear Casino, a large casino and resort that has a significant presence beside I-35.

2. The town of Carlton, seat of Carlton County and railroad town served by the BNSF.

3. Thomson Dam, hydroelectric dam on the St. Louis River, which MN 210 crosses via a truss bridge.

4. Jay Cooke State Park visitor’s center, taking the form of two log structures and rustic picnic areas. The visitor’s center is not clearly visible from MN 210, but this part of the park, most famous for its swinging bridge, is marked by a rustic sign and the warnings of trail crossings.

5. Unidentified beam bridge. Here, over a spillway for the man-made Forbay Lake, MN 210 used to be carried on an embankment, which was evidently severely damaged by the 2012 flood. Today a large concrete bridge lofts the road high over the spillway with dramatic views of the St. Louis River Valley.

6. Thomson Hydro, a hydroelectric plant located where water from Forbay Lake meets the St. Louis through underground pipes. The plant is small, but is marked by two water tanks (right, as seen from the Superior Hiking Trail).

7. MN 23, which crosses the St. Louis on an old, handsome bridge visible from MN 210. MN 23 clips through Wisconsin and Jay Cooke State Park and heads southeast, connecting with I-35 just north of Sandstone.

8. CN trestle over I-35 and Becks Road, part of Steelton Grade.

9. Nopeming Sanitorium, derelict, abandoned, and possibly haunted medical campus buried in the forest at the western end of the North Shore Highlands. The complex is mostly hidden from I-35, but is flagged by its chimney.

10. Steelton Grade, steep grade on the CN network, one of the two railroad routes into Duluth by way of the North Shore Highlands, the other being Piedmont Grade. Steelton Grade sees a variety of freight traffic, typically intermodal, tanker, and manifest consists, often pulled by CN GEVOs.

An autorack consist, as seen from Ely’s Peak, waits for helper units to return from Pokegama Yard to help it up the grade. To the right is the intersection of Becks Road and Commonwealth Avenue.

Helper units coast down the grade after assisting a hopper consist with the climb, as seen from Becks Road. In the background is Ely’s Peak.

11. The Oliver Bridge, a double-deck bridge over the St. Louis. At right, helper units cross the bridge to assist an intermodal consist, as seen from Bardon’s Peak.

12. Bardon’s Peak overlook, one of the best views of the Twin Ports.

The view of Duluth from Bardon’s Peak.

13. The Stewart Creek Bridge, one of the many stone structures on the scenic and historic Skyline Parkway.

14. Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, a large all-season outdoor recreation complex most identifiable by its ski hills, seen here, from a bay on the St. Louis in Irving.

15. F-101 displayed 20 feet above the ground, a memorial to two captains of the 148th Fighter Wing, the Duluth branch of the Air National Guard.

16. Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone #225, a Baldwin M4, one of the largest and most powerful steam locomotives ever built, displayed here as a testament to Proctor’s history as a prominent railroad town.

17. Piedmont Grade, another CN route into Duluth via the North Shore Highlands. This grade, unlike Steelton Grade, is primarily used by the mining industry, moving taconite pellets from processing plants to the Hallet Docks and limestone from the Lakehead Facility to the plants. Locomotives on this trackage are typically road switchers of CN, DM&IR, B&LE (Bessemer and Lake Erie), or Illinois Central liveries. Pictured here, helper units are about to cross above I-35 as they head to Missabe Junction in Lincoln Park to help a limestone consist. The freeway also makes a steep climb up the Highlands here.

18. Lake Superior Zoo, a modest menagerie on Kingsbury Creek. The most visible and identifiable part of it from Grand Avenue is the central building.

19. Irving docks, where coal, limestone, and other imports are stockpiled. While not as large or busy as similar facilities, the docks are still notable landmarks.

20. BNSF Grassy Point Bridge, a swing bridge that forms the only direct rail connection between the Twin Ports. Rail traffic across this bridge is typically road or yard switchers moving short consists between the BNSF yards in Rices Point, Irving, and Billings Park.

21. The Richard I. Bong Bridge, a sweeping concrete arch bridge traversed by US 2, named in honor of a decorated WWII flying ace who was a native of Superior.

The Bong Bridge, as seen from Brewer Park. To the right of it is the Grassy Point Bridge, the Hibbard Renewable Energy facility, and part of the Verso Mill.

22. Irving School Apartments, the repurposed and historic Irving School. The building isn’t very large, but is prominently situated next to I-35 and is most notable for its large chimney and windows.

23. Verso Mill. It’s already listed as a job site in the previous section, but is still a notable landmark.

Another view from Brewer Park. To the left is the Verso Mill, and to the right is Irving School. Beyond are the Irving docks.

24. Hibbard Renewable Energy, a sizeable power plant situated on an island beside the Bong Bridge that can be easily spotted from many parts of Duluth by its tall, orange-striped chimney.

25. Main street: Spirit Valley. The original heart of Duluth, this area is filled with historic buildings and ornate lamp posts. This is mostly a commercial area.

26. Quarry Park, an abandoned quarry that is now a city park that features a large cliff dug into the hillside just below the cliffs of Brewer Park.

27. Denfeld High School, one of the major schools in the city, most notable for its ornately-designed clock tower.

28. Wade Stadium, a municipal baseball stadium, and one of the few sports venues in Duluth not associated with a school.

29. The Hallet Docks, two large iron ore unloading docks that, at conception, were the largest such docks in the world. Only one is in use today, and it is not uncommon to see a ship moored there and in full view from I-35. The docks are located at the end of Piedmont Grade and are considered by many to mark the divide between Denfeld to the west and West End/Lincoln Park to the east.

30. CN Lakehead Facility, large storage area for limestone and taconite, which are piled in large mounds.

The Lakehead Facility, Hallet Docks, and Wade Stadium, as seen from Piedmont Knob. Across St. Louis Bay the hills of coal at the Midwest Energy Terminal can be seen, as well as the grain elevators and refineries of Superior.

31. Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD), a large water treatment plant.

32. The “Can of Worms,” the notorious junction of I-35, US 53, and I-535, a spur that shares the road with US 53 to the Wisconsin end of the Blatnick Bridge. This junction most notably features a traffic signal, one of the few such junctions in the US. Overweight trucks are not allowed to travel

through parts of this interchange, and trucks that are of legal weight but substantial length may have trouble. This problematic junction is expected to be rebuilt in the near future.

33. The John A. Blatnick Bridge, otherwise known as “The High Bridge.” This through-arch bridge is older and shorter than the Bong, and provides sweeping views of the ports of Duluth and Superior, as well as, on the approach into Minnesota, the North Shore Highlands. Beside the bridge, extending from Rices Point, is the remains of its predecessor, the Interstate Bridge, which is left preserved as a fishing pier.

34. The Holcim Cement elevator, a large cement elevator at the end of Rices Point. This is the tallest building in Duluth.

The Blatnick Bridge, Holcim elevator, and Duluth port terminal, as seen from Minnesota Point. Behind the Blatnick are Superior’s General Mills elevators, and to the right is Bardon’s Peak.

35. Duluth Lake Park Fields, a large grain elevator.

36. WB Storage, another large grain elevator, the largest on Rices Point.

37. Unidentified grain elevator. This elevator is marked with an A, and is the last of a series of grain elevators built on Rices Point around the turn of the century, this elevator built in 1908. At right the three elevators listed can be seen from West 5th Street.

38. Midtowne Manor, twin apartment buildings in West End that tower over US 53 as it climbs into the Highlands.

39. Pier B Resort, a hotel built on the site of the LaFarge Cement terminal. Incorporated into it is the original elevator. Below the hotel can be seen from Railroad Street.

40. Bayfront Festival Park, a large open park on Superior Bay that is most identifiable by its large stage shelter. This park is a common venue for concerts, music festivals, and, during the holiday season, is the setting of Bentleyville, the largest free walk through lighting display in the country.

41. Great Lakes Aquarium, a large freshwater aquarium (I think one of the largest in the US of its kind, I can’t find any figures on that) of an interesting design.

42. The Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC), a sprawling complex including a cinema, symphony hall, and two arenas, as well as a number of convention halls.

The DECC, aquarium, and Bayfront Park, as seen from Observation Hill. In this image Bentleyville is being set up.

Another part of the DECC, seen here the Duluth Cinema and the Ultrascreen. To the left is the William A. Irvin.

43. Gateway Tower, a large apartment building at the western end of downtown Duluth that is clad in an aesthetically pleasing way, giving the effect of reflections while being matte.

44. This point accidentally includes two landmarks: Duluth Union Depot, which is now the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, and the central branch of the Duluth Public Library. The former is an historic building, while the latter is designed in a way that many liken to UFOs or ships.

45. Lenox Place, another significant apartment building across the street from Gateway Tower.

Gateway Tower to the left, and Lenox Place to the right. To the far right is the roof of Duluth Union Depot. Seen from the DECC.

Duluth Union Depot, the public library, Gateway Tower (prior to being re-clad), and part of the Radisson, as seen from the maurices Building.

46. The Radisson, one of the tallest buildings in Duluth, as well as one of the most interestingly designed: the building is a cylinder.

The Duluth Radisson. In the background, to the left, is the CenturyLink Building; the building’s “horns” were demolished in 2016 after being damaged in a windstorm. To the far right is the Ordean Building, and at center are the Alworth and Medical Arts Buildings. The tower crane marks the maurices Building, which, at the time of this photo, was beginning construction.

47. The Duluth Civic Center. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this complex is made up of City Hall, the St. Louis County Courthouse (at right), and the Customs Building, all designed classically. In the center is greenspace and a flagpole, as well as a fountain, all overlooking the 5th Avenue Mall.

48. A landmark I almost forgot: Enger Tower, a stone observation tower in Enger Park, located atop an eminence extending from the Highlands that is not officially named, but what I’ve called Enger Peak. The tower can be seen from many parts of the city and at night a green beacon at the top is lit. At right the tower can be seen from the vicinity of where Skyline Parkway meets US 53.

49. The Ordean Building, a relatively small concrete office building that stands over a square between it and 5th Avenue West. The most notable aspect of this building is the arches that adorn it.

50. The Providence Building, another office building of about the same size, that is clad in a striking combination of brick and black paneling with red marble(?) at the top and base. On a corner of the building, at Superior Street and 4th Avenue West, is a digital clock and thermometer.

51. The Medical Arts Building, one of the tallest buildings in Duluth, and the largest (and one of the only) buildings of the 1930s Art Deco style in the city. The building is clad in a sharp combination of limestone and black paneling with black marble at its base, with floor sizes decreasing as it rises with setbacks in art deco fashion. The crown of the building is adorned with small fins and carved Native American faces.

The view from Superior Street at 5th Avenue West. At right is the Ordean Building, and down the street, on the same side, are the Providence and Medical Arts Buildings. At left is the completed maurices Building. Also seen down the street is one of the many bridges of the Skywalk System.

52. The Torrey Building, one of the older buildings still standing in downtown Duluth. This dark, brick building is most noticeable from the street by its name being spelled down both sides in bright red letters and the street-level facade, which is re-done in a more modern style over which the rest of the facade cantilevers.

53. The Alworth Building, the tallest habitable building in Duluth. This major landmark is clad in limestone and terra cotta with black marble at its base, and is adorned with carvings of flowers up the north face. The top floor features oxeye windows surrounded, on the north and south faces, with ornate carvings and lion head sculptures, and the crown is lined with carved flourishings and patterns.

54. The Lonsdale Building, an old, ornate brick building that adjoins the Alworth.

Previous page: from left to right, the Sellwood, Wells Fargo, Lonsdale, Alworth, Torrey, and Medical Arts Buildings, as seen from the maurices Building. Also visible here are two Skywalk bridges and some of downtown’s iconic street lamps. Also slightly visible is downtown’s brick sidewalks. Superior Street is also paved with bricks east of Lake Avenue until 4th Avenue East.

Downtown from the south, as seen from 5th Avenue West near Amsoil Arena. The crane to the left is for the construction of the Duluth Transit Center, completed in 2016. Also at left is part of the original Northwest Passage, a Skywalk bridge connecting downtown and the DECC. Also seen here is the Oneida Realty “Welcome to Duluth” sign over I-35.

Right: the Northwest Passage as it is today, as seen from 5th Avenue West over Railroad Street. In the background to the left is the Minnesota Power Building and Greysolon Plaza, and right of center is the Duluth Energy Systems plant.

55. The Wells Fargo Building, a rather brutalist beige building that isn’t the most attractive building in the city but certainly has a presence.

56. The Sellwood Building, a brick building with a marble facade adorned with shields at the top.

57. The US Bank Building, another modernist brick, this one clad in grey stone. This building is made interesting by its northwest quarter, a jagged black glass curtain wall (right).

58. The Minnesota Power Building, a short building that is largely unimpressive, but looms over a large square to the east, at the corner of Lake Avenue and Superior Street.

Below: downtown as seen from Superior Street near Technology Village. To the left is the Minnesota Power Building, and behind it are the US Bank, Sellwood, Wells Fargo, and Alworth Buildings.

59. Holiday Center, a large retail and dining area and Skywalk hub, but not exactly a shopping mall, although some may classify it as such. It’s located in the base of the Holiday Inn, one of the tallest buildings downtown.

Left: Holiday Center on Superior Street. Right: the Holiday Inn, as seen from Second Street.

60. Technology Village, a squat but large office building that features a curved corner that stands over the intersection of Lake and Superior.

61. Old Central High School, a magnificent building of Fond du Lac brownstone that is now the headquarters for Duluth’s public school district. The most notable feature of this building is its tall clock tower.

Right: Old Central and Mesaba Avenue, as well as the Tri-Tower Apartments, Sacred Heart Church, Greysolon Plaza, and the Damiano Center.

Old Central peeking out from between the buildings of downtown, as seen from below I-35. The maurices Building now hides Old Central from this angle.

62. Duluth Energy Systems plant, a steam plant that powers and heats downtown Duluth, most notable for its tall chimney. At left it is seen from the intersection of Lake Avenue and Superior Street, with the Minnesota Power Building to the right.

63. Sister City Park, a park near the very tip of Lake Superior that is elevated above any nearby roads but is identified by an oriental arch visible from Superior Street and I-35, a monument representing Ohara Isumi-City in Japan, one of Duluth’s sister cities (the others are Petrozavodsk, Russia; Thunder Bay, Canada; Rania, Iraq; and Växjö, Sweden). This is also an area where I-35 runs closely next to the North Shore Scenic Railroad (NSSR), which rejoins with the I-35 after the highway passes through a series of tunnels, and runs along Superior Street in Lakeside. The NSSR runs every day in the summer with trips from Union Depot to the Lester River and Two Harbors. Consists are typically short and of varied rolling stock, including a dome car. The leading locomotive is often a DM&IR road switcher, but can sometimes be an F unit, either a Soo FP7 or Erie Mining F9A. Weekend Two Harbors trains, especially late in the operating season, may be pulled by Duluth and Northeastern Prairie #28, starting in 2017. Left: DM&IR SD18 #316, a typical leading locomotive, crosses the Lakewalk near the northern terminus of the I-35.

Below: D&NE #28 runs along Railroad Street with the Duluth skyline behind, as seen from the Minnesota Slip.

64. Two landmarks that, due to my forgetting to label one, are included as a single one: the Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza and the SS William A. Irvin. The Suites Hotel occupies the old Zenith Machinery factory, its twin water tanks left preserved. The Irvin is a freighter that is now a museum ship moored in the Minnesota Slip. Both landmarks can be prominently seen from I-35. Below they are seen from the top of the Medical Arts Building.

65. The DeWitt-Seitz Building, an old warehouse that is now an office and retail building. After the Suites Hotel, it is the second tallest building in Canal Park, a tourist district that was originally gritty and industrial.

Next page: the view down Lake Avenue in Canal Park.

66. The Aerial Lift Bridge, the most iconic structure in Duluth. This marvel of engineering has a span that will raise 135 feet to allow the passage of ships up to 1013 feet long. In the summer it typically raises halfway every thirty minutes or so for excursion vessels, fishing boats, and leisure craft to pass through the canal, and will raise to full height when needed for the passage of cargo ships, often ore freighters native to the Great Lakes and sometimes foreign-flagged bulk freighters and multi-purpose heavy lifters; unfortunately, Duluth hasn’t seen a cruise ship since 2011. It can take up to around fifteen minutes for a large ship to pass through, resulting in traffic jams called “Bridgings” (i.e. “Sorry I’m late, I got bridged”).

Left: the lift bridge at day. At night it is lit with orange floodlights, turning it from silver to gold. The lights can also be custom colored. For example, on the 4th of July the bridge is lit in red, white, and blue.

Right: the bridge raised at its full height to let the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes, depart.

67. Fond du Luth Casino, a building that’s small, being three stories and taking up half a block, but is decked in color changing lights and massive digital screens playing constant advertisements for differently themed slot machines. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to miss.

68. The Nor Shor Theatre, an old playhouse with a prominent marquee. The theatre devolved into a gentleman’s club and was then shuttered for years, but is currently undergoing a full renovation and will reopen in February of 2018 as a theatre. At left the theatre can be seen circa 2014, and, despite being very dirty, is close to how it looks after being renovated, save for lighting letters on the marquee spelling the name of the theatre.

69. Greysolon Plaza, an apartment building that used to be the Hotel Duluth. The building is tall with an ornate crown and base, the lower floors clad in terra cotta with many carvings. It’s in the lower floors where the Greysolon Ballroom, one of the most opulent gathering rooms in the city, is located, which can be spotted from the street by its large, arched windows. Also notable is the building’s front awning, a large, richly decorated structure, which, as a matter of fact, is a reconstruction, the original destroyed by heavy snowfall in late 2013.

70. The Sheraton, a more recently-built hotel that is also of notable height.

Top of next page: Greysolon Plaza and the Sheraton as seen from the South Pier of the shipping canal. Below an excursion train on the NSSR heads to the Lester River, while behind is the Essentia Health campus.

71. The Park Point Marina, a relatively large marina at the northern end of Minnesota Point, otherwise known as Park Point. Also located here is the local US Coast Guard station, where the icebreaker and buoy tender Alder is often moored. Below the marina can be seen to the left, and the Alder just to the right, of the Vista Star, the largest ship in the Vista excursion fleet.

72. Park Point Beach House, an old community center built on the dunes of Minnesota Point, one of the largest natural freshwater sandbars in the world. At right the beach house can be seen from Minnesota Avenue at the Park Point Recreation Center, beyond a herd of Canada geese, flying bison.

73. Sky Harbor Airport, a small airport mostly for helicopter and seaplane tours.

74. Fitgers, a brewery-turned-hotel and shopping/dining center. The building has a prominent presence on Superior Street as it winds over and around I-35, the most iconic features the chimney and red water tank. At right the building stands over the Lakewalk and NSSR.

75. Cascade Park, a Central Hillside park adjacent to Mesaba Avenue, the most distinct feature a red-roofed gazebo, seen below.

76. First United Methodist Church, a large church most notable for its large pyramid-shaped roof. The church towers over Central Entrance to the south atop a short cliff.

77. The Essentia Health campus, one of the hospital complexes of East Hillside, consisting of five buildings. At right is the Miller-Dwan Building of the campus.

78. The St. Luke’s campus, Essentia’s rival and the objectively better hospital. This complex is also made up of five buildings and is located next to a couple other landmarks I forgot to include: the exclusive Gitchii Gamii Club, the Karpeles Museum, and Leif Erikson Park.

79. Portland Square, a block of green space on Fourth Street, one of the main arteries of East Hillside and Endion, and a commercial region for the former.

80. The Traphagen House, a brick mansion with a brownstone facade overlooking Superior Street that was designed and inhabited by Oliver Traphagen, an architect who famously designed many notable buildings in Duluth in the late 19th century.

81. The Edgewater Resort, a large hotel most popular for its water park. The Edgewater, or “Edge,” overlooks I-35 and Lake Superior, as the name implies.

82. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Duluth’s cathedral. Overlooking the lake and Lakeside, the sandstone building is lined with large arched windows and an intricate rose window is located over the main entrance, which is dwarfed by pillars of colored marble. The cathedral also includes a tall bell tower that can be seen from far and wide.

83. Holy Rosary School, a Christian elementary and middle school based in what used to be a nunnery. The school features an array of large stained glass windows and two short towers.

Left: deer graze on a slope behind Ordean-East Middle School, the cathedral bell tower beyond. Right: a young deer grazes near Fourth Street with Holy Rosary across the parking lot, which offers an excellent view of Lake Superior.

84. Ordean-East Middle School, formerly East High School, a large, old, brick school with similar designs as Congdon Elementary School.

85. Congdon Elementary School, an old brick school in the heart of the residential neighborhood of Congdon.

Congdon Elementary and Superior Street after a fresh dusting.

86. Glensheen, the opulent Congdon family estate built at the mouth of Tischer Creek. The Congdons, made wealthy by iron, lived here until the late 20th century with the murder of Elizabeth Congdon and her nurse, Velma Pietila. The house and its grounds are now owned by UMD, which gives tours of the lake side palace.

87. Northland Country Club, a club built in the standard country club style, with a large, white, palatial clubhouse that can be seen from Superior Street. The club’s golf course is walled off from the adjacent street by a row of tall pines and cedars.

88. East High School, formerly Ordean Middle School, a large, modern-styled school with grounds that Superior Street overlooks.

89. Washington Square, a park similar to Portland Square in East Hillside.

90. Main street: Lakeside. Superior Street is lined with businesses on the north side of the street as it runs through Lakeside, while to the south is the Lakewalk and NSSR. Below D&NE #28 steams through Lakeside, bound for Two Harbors, as seen from Robinson Street. Some of Lakeside’s businesses can be seen in the right half of the picture.

91. St. Michael’s Church, a sort of modernist brick church on Superior Street. Attached is a sizeable bell tower.

92. Brighton Beach, a popular venue for rock collecting, picnicking, and, for those who dare do it, surfing. The beach is located in Duluth’s far eastern reaches, and is most noticeable from the road by the small blue information stand located there, where there is also a sign marking the start of scenic MN 61. Below the city can be seen from the beach in the spring, and is close to the view from the road.

93. The bridges of Seven Bridges Road, a series of old stone bridges that cross Amity Creek as it tumbles down from the Highlands to meet with the Lester River. At left the third bridge up the road can be seen. Some of the bridges, as well as some of the road itself, offer beautiful views of the creek and its ravine. Of course, these bridges may likely not support the weight of a semi tractor; see Section 2.4 for more information on why this road was included and what form it would take.

94. Hawk Ridge Overlook, a vista on Skyline Parkway. The ridge is popular for being under the migration path of raptors, and so near the road is a wooden viewing platform and the ridge’s gift shop, a small trailer. Along the road, as is seen elsewhere along the parkway, are boulders, one here painted silver. Below, Duluth proper can be seen, with many landmarks listed here visible.

95. Concordia Lutheran Church, a building sort of squashed in the middle, as if it were sat upon (right).

96. University of Minnesota at Duluth, the largest college campus in the Twin Ports. The campus features numerous interesting buildings and art pieces, but what would mostly be seen in this map is athletic fields by Woodland Avenue.

97. College of St. Scholastica, another large campus. Again, it’s too far from any drawn road to have much of a presence, but the school’s iconic twin bell towers can be seen from Arrowhead Road.

98. Chester Creek Bridge (below), a concrete bridge carrying Skyline Parkway in Chester Park that is located in the middle of a switchback as the road follows the contours of the deep ravine of the Chester.

99. Main street: Duluth Heights. Central Entrance is the main artery here and is lined on both sides by businesses, mostly auto parts stores and fast food restaurants.

100. Miller Hill Mall, a standard, large, one-story mall with a moat of parking lots.

101. Duluth International Airport, a small airport that only offers flights to relatively nearby cities, mainly Thunder Bay, Detroit, Chicago, and the Twin Cities. The marker is located over the terminal building, the port itself being much more expansive, including two runways (one long

enough to accommodate an Antonov An-124, which made an unexpected visit on one occasion), the 148th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard, and the fabrication building for Cirrus Aircraft, a manufacturer of small private planes. The airport is also the host of an occasional air show. Air traffic here is typically regional jets, private aircraft, F-16s, and C-130s.

102. Federal Prison Camp, apparently a low-security prison. It doesn’t seem to be associated with the St. Louis County Jail, which is hidden in the forest somewhere due east.

103. North Superior grain elevators, on this point the General Mills elevators and on the point to the east the CHS elevators. Moored at the CHS elevators is the Edward L. Ryerson, a beautifully designed freighter that has been in limbo for years. The front of the ship can prominently be seen from Tower Avenue.

104. Midwest Energy Resources, a large coal terminal with a loading dock where a 1000+ foot superfreighter is typically moored.

The GM elevators, Hibbard Renewable Energy, and the MER terminal, where a superfreighter is docked, as seen from near the Thomson Hill Overlook.

105. Connor’s Point Storage and Gavilon Grain, the former made notable by a distinctively designed warehouse, the latter by an array of blue silos and a mass of elevators with a tower that says in red letters “Peavey,” the name of the former occupier.

At left is the Conner’s Point Storage warehouse, and to the far left is the Gavilon elevator tower. Also seen here is the Blatnick Bridge, and beyond is the North Shore Highlands, “Hanes Gap” to the left.

106. Greymont LLC, a large cement plant. In addition to the complex factory is a small mountain range of materials. At right the plant can be seen from Minnesota Point. The ship moored here in limbo is the J. A. W. Iglehart.

107. The Hotel Androy, the tallest building in downtown Superior, at eight stories.

108. Main street: downtown Superior. The main artery here is Tower Avenue, which, north of Belknap Street, is decorated with red concrete medians and corners that are adorned with plantings. Buildings in downtown Superior are smaller than those in downtown Duluth, but are old. A notable landmark here is a large buoy displayed just north of Belknap Street at Northland Chevrolet, a possible job site not listed above.

An expansive view of Superior from Bardon’s Peak. Connor’s Point Storage and Gavilon Grain can be seen to the left, and Greymont LLC to the right. Near Greymont LLC the Androy can be seen as a dark red building, and to the right of it is the Belknap Street viaduct over the BNSF yard, some of the yard structures visible at around the center of the image. Below is likely Dwight’s Point, Pokegama Bay, and Clough Island.

109. Center City Park, a square in the heart of the city near the public library that includes, over the corner of Tower and Belknap, the welcome sign for those entering via US 2, saying “Welcome to Superior / Living up to our name.”

110. University of Wisconsin at Superior, a fairly large campus south of Belknap Street. The most notable alum is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

111. The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, a World War II museum and memorial designed to resemble large, wide quonset huts. Displayed outside is an M60-A3 Patton tank, which actually would not have served in WWII.

112. SS Meteor, a Whaleback Freighter museum ship. A nearby landmark I forgot to include is Fairlawn Mansion, a Victorian-style mansion, the most notable feature of it a tower with a pointed roof. Both landmarks can be seen below from Minnesota Point.

113. Mariner Mall, a single-story mall and cinema.

114. The Hansen Mueller terminal, a grain elevator and multi-story warehouse.

115. Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, a church with a tall steeple that can be seen from a ways off.

St. Francis Xavier Church at left and Hansen Mueller at right, as seen from Minnesota Point.

116. A defunct ore unloading dock that is now used as a dock for ships during winter layup. The dock also acts as a public boat launch.

117. The Allouez Docks, four ore loading docks, three defunct.

The Allouez Docks, as seen from Minnesota Point. At far right is the defunct dock at landmark 116.

118. Bong Airport, Superior’s regional airport. Air traffic here is most often single-prop planes, either private or for skydiving (it was from this airport and over this city where two skydiving planes infamously collided in midair in 2013).

119. Main street: South Superior. A residential and somewhat commercial area in the far southern reaches of Superior. Roadside landmarks include Webster Park and the silver water tank of Kent Precision Foods Group, which reads in black lettering “Twin Ports Dairy.”

Section 1.3: Natural Landmarks

I. The Dalles of the St. Louis, a series of cascades that fall through igneous bedrock carved with fins and channels. The falls can’t be seen from the road, but can certainly be heard. Below the falls can be seen from the park’s famous swinging bridge.

II. Oldenburg Point, a picnic area and overlook situated some 160 feet over the St. Louis River. The point can be seen from the unidentified bridge at landmark 5.

III. Hemlock Ravine, a deep ravine branching from the St. Louis that MN 210 drops down through as it enters the valley.

IV. The valley of the St. Louis, a valley host to a multitude of ridges and branching ravines that’s traversed by MN 210

Above: the valley of the St. Louis as seen from Ely’s Peak with its distinctive red clay. To the left are the water tanks of Thomson Hydro, and beyond are farmlands north of Wrenshall.

Left: the valley as seen from the Superior Hiking Trail as it climbs a ridge. At the far end MN 210 can be seen.

V. The ravine of the Little River, a gnat-infested furnace that MN 210 crosses via a bridge, as opposed to an embankment, since, despite the name, the Little River is a small creek.

VI. Mission Creek, a long, meandering creek that runs through an intricate ravine and meets with the St. Louis at the Duluth neighborhood of Fond du Lac.

VII. A ridge above Fond du Lac contained mostly in the obscure Carson Park. Below is the view from the Superior Hiking Trail as it runs along the ridge. The far-western neighborhood can’t be seen from here, but pictured below is the Mont du Lac resort across the border.

VIII. Sargent Creek, a long creek that originates in the highlands north of Bardon’s Peak, flows west and passes below Becks Road at the western terminus of Skyline Parkway, then moves southeast through a meandering ravine and meets the St. Louis at Boy Scout Landing in New Duluth, at the southern end of Commonwealth Avenue.

IX. Ely’s Peak, the westernmost summit in the North Shore Highlands. This peak is a sort of pinch of the Earth, with the east and west faces cliffs, the south face a tiered rise, and the north an extension of the highlands. The peak, like almost all other formations in the highlands, was formed by glaciers, the rock being igneous bedrock of the Canadian Shield, making it some of the oldest naturally-exposed rock on Earth. The summit is approximately 1210 feet above sea level and 330 feet above the nearest trailhead off of Becks Road about due south from the unidentified quarry at job site B.

Right: Ely’s Peak looms over Becks Road as seen from Commonwealth Avenue.

Left: the mountain above a construction crew rebuilding Steelton Grade, ca. June, 2015, as seen from Becks Road.

X. Bardon’s Peak, a low mountain that extends to the south, making it prominently seen from much of Duluth while hiding Ely’s Peak from view.

Left: Bardon’s Peak as seen from Ely’s Peak. To the right is Becks Road, and at center is Spirit Island.

Right: the mountain as seen from Gary.

Left: Bardon’s Peak seen from the east, the most common view, more specifically the Duluth shipping canal.

XI. Spirit Island, a prominent island in the center of the lake of the same name. The island, according to an Ojibwe legend, is inhabited by the Love Spirit, which is said to be more powerful than death itself. Access to the island is prohibited, and many report a sort of energy emanating from it. Below the island can be seen from Ely’s Peak. Beyond it is Chases Point and Superior, and to the lower left is part of Bardon’s Peak. Across Lake Superior is Wisconsin’s Gogebic Range.

XII. Stewart Creek, a small body of water that has shaped a prominent ravine as it flows down from the highlands, its point of origin to the northwest of that of Sargent Creek.

XIII. Clough Island, a large, uninhabited island separating Spirit Lake from the rest of the estuary of the St. Louis.

XIV. Knowlton Creek, a narrow creek that originates near where the I-35 and CN meet near Spirit Mountain and pours down through ravines into wetlands on the St. Louis.

XV. Kingsbury Creek, a creek that begins to the north of Proctor, flows through a ravine shared by US 2, passes below its junction with I-35 through a deep ravine, and pours through a shallow ravine to a marshy bay on the St. Louis, passing through Lake Superior Zoo on the way. Below Grand Avenue can be seen crossing the creek, as seen from the LS&M. In the background is the zoo and, to the upper left, the Thompson Hill Overlook.

XVI. Keene Creek, a long creek that originates due west of Miller Hill Mall and pours down from the highlands through fairly substantial ravines before meandering in the open through Spirit Valley, Fairmount, and Irving, meeting with the St. Louis at Grassy Point.

XVII. Brewer Park cliffs, ~80 foot tall cliffs that loom over Skyline Parkway and the neighborhoods of Cody and Spirit Valley and can be seen prominently from I-35.

XVIII. Piedmont Knob, an eminence at the edge of the highlands that can prominently be seen from US 53, going both up and down the grade. Below the knob can be seen from Lincoln Park.

XIX. Miller Creek, a creek that originates from east of Duluth International Airport, flows through Duluth Heights and around Miller Hill Mall, and enters a significant ravine behind Lake Superior College that meets with US 53 and diverges at Piedmont Avenue, continuing through Lincoln Park and emptying into St. Louis Bay at Rice’s Point.

XX. Enger Peak, the unofficial name of a part of the highlands that extends south, dividing east and west Duluth. At right it can be seen to the left from Piedmont Knob.

XXI. Point of Rocks, a series of bluffs of rugged igneous rock that has traditionally been regarded as the geographical boundary between east and west Duluth. The bluffs stand imposingly over Superior Street, reaching to the east, some of them in an impressive ridge formation.

XXII. Observation Hill, a hill overlooking downtown, Canal Park, and Rice’s Point from beside Mesaba Avenue. The hill can be seen from Superior Street by its small bluffs.

Central Duluth as seen from Minnesota Point. Seen here are the elevators of Rice’s Point, and maneuvering through the harbor is the superfreighter Walter J. McCarthy Jr. Beyond is the North Shore Highlands, to the left Enger Peak. Below and to the right are the bluffs of the Point of Rocks, and out of frame to the far right is Observation Hill.

XXIII. Chester Creek, a body of water that begins somewhere in Kenwood and winds through a deep ravine through Chester Park. At Fourth Street it becomes more hidden, flowing underground a ways, and empties directly into Lake Superior by the Rose Garden. At the top of the next page is the outtake mouth of the tunnel below I-35.

XXIV. Tischer Creek, a creek that originates somewhere west of Woodland and winds through a ravine into Hartley Nature Center, where it collects in Hartley Pond before moving on through Hunters Park. It enters a deep ravine in northern Congdon where it flows through Congdon Park, running through a relatively small canyon of red rock at and near Superior Street. It empties into Lake Superior at Glensheen. Pictured here is Superior Street as it crosses the Tischer, which features magnificent white pines.

XXV. The Lester River, a large body of water originating about ten miles north of Woodland. It meanders through the highlands, entering a wide, goosenecking ravine near Moose Mountain. The ravine narrows and deepens as it flows through Lester Park in far eastern Duluth and meets with Amity Creek below Superior Street with a terrace of rapids. From there it calms and glides down to Lake Superior at Brighton Beach. At left the river can be seen below the NSSR, shortly downriver from Superior Street.

XXVI. Amity Creek, a creek starting north of Woodland that winds around Hawk Ridge and enters a deep and goosenecking ravine at Amity Park, shared with Seven Bridges Road.

XXVII. Moose Mountain, a long, ridge-shaped eminence that can prominently be seen from many settings in eastern Duluth.

Left: Moose Mountain, to the left, is seen from Hawk Ridge.

Right: the mountain as seen from Minnesota Point

XXVIII. Hawk Ridge, a peak with a wall of bluffs over Lakeside, named for the raptors that fly over the ridge on their annual migration.

XXIX. Hunter Hill, a prominent hill in Hartley Nature Center that rises over Woodland Avenue and Hunters Park.

XXX. Bagley Hill, the unofficial name of a hill in Bagley Nature Area that overlooks UMD.

XXXI. The Nemadji River, a river that stems from somewhere to the southwest of Jay Cooke State Park and enters Superior goosenecking through a wide, shallow ravine. It empties into Lake Superior between Superior and Allouez Bays, and acts as a border between East End and Allouez.

XXXII. Bluff Creek, a river that originates somewhere to the southeast of Superior and enters the city in a winding ravine near Allouez Taconite. It winds on, emptying in Allouez Bay. The estuary of Bluff Creek acts as a border between Allouez and Itasca.

XXXIII. Dwight’s Point, a large peninsula extending into the estuary of the St. Louis River.

XXXIV. Chase’s Point, a smaller peninsula that, with Dwight’s Point, forms Pokegama Bay.

Chapter 2: Transportation

Section 2.1: Interstate Highways

I-35. A four lane freeway throughout, mostly. The road has a grassy median as it comes in from the south and is mostly level, beginning to climb after passing below the CN. Just before entering Duluth city limits the median becomes a concrete barrier, widening occasionally. The summit is reached about east of where Skyline Parkway crosses, and there the freeway begins to travel down a steep grade with a spectacular view, soon meeting with US 2, where an additional southbound lane appears, which vanishes at Central Avenue. The freeway curves down over Grand Avenue and Central Avenue and the grade eases, settling below the level of surface roads, US 2 deviating with the Bong Bridge. The freeway continues straight, curving as it passes below the Hallet Docks, rising subtly on occasion. It then becomes slightly elevated as it runs through the Can of Worms interchange, where it crosses US 53 and I-535 spurs off. It continues straight on, elevated but lower than Superior Street, and curves slightly as Mesaba Avenue diverges (here there are also exits off and on I-35 to/from downtown via Superior Street), rising slightly over NSSR trackage before dipping again to run between downtown to the north and Bayfront, the DECC, and the Irvin to the south, with frontage roads on either side, to the north connecting to Michigan Street, and to the south to Railroad Street, both frontage roads terminating at Fifth and Lake Avenues. After passing below Lake Avenue the freeway runs through four tunnels and a trench. After exiting the easternmost tunnel, the highway runs along the shore of Lake Superior to the south, with a high concrete wall to the north, since here the freeway is situated below the level of nearby surface roads. Finally, the freeway rises to meet MN 61, London Road, and 26th Avenue East, where it terminates at a traffic signal.

I-535. An Interstate spur stemming from the Can of Worms. A four lane freeway shared with US 53 that, from the Can of Worms, runs along the western edge of Rice’s Point, the BNSF yard at the eastern side. At the end of the yard is an exit to Garfield Avenue, after which the freeway

rises into the John A. Blatnik Bridge, which runs high over the mouth of the St. Louis River. The freeway then descends into Superior, Wisconsin, terminating at North 5th Street, where it becomes Hammond Avenue, with exit ramps prior to the terminal onto North 3rd Street, where US 53 and WI 35 are met.

Section 2.2: US Highways

US 2. Road comes down from the northwest as a rural two-lane highway running alongside the CN. At the southern end of Proctor Yard the highway runs through the town of Proctor, first the center of the town then residential outskirts. It then passes through a forested ravine before meeting with I-35, which it merges with until reaching the four-lane Richard I. Bong Bridge, the northern terminus of which being 46th Avenue West. US 2 then winds across the bridge high over the St. Louis, descending into Superior where it meets with Belknap Street at a roundabout. The highway from there runs at four lanes along Belknap Street over the BNSF yard and through Superior with a center turn lane at Tower Avenue downtown. Belknap Street ends at Hill Avenue where it angles to the northeast and meets with US 53 at East 2nd Street. It runs along a four lane highway with a center turn lane at prominent intersections, to the west residential eastern Superior and to the east the marshy edge of St. Louis Bay and Barker’s Island. The setting around the highway becomes more commercial and industrial as it passes through East End, where a slightly raised concrete median appears and, when crossing over the CP, narrows into concrete barriers. This raised median disappears after a while, but returns after crossing the Nemadji River, where the road moves over the wetlands at the river’s mouth. This median again briefly vanishes in Allouez, returning before crossing the mouth of Bluff Creek into Itasca, where it again vanishes where the highway briefly meets Itasca Yard. Out of Itasca the highway leaves the limits of Superior, broadening into a four lane expressway with a wide, tree-filled median. Just out of city limits off of the east/southbound lane is a rest stop, and, unable to be marked here, is a weigh station situated in the median. After that to the east US 2 breaks from US 53 and continues east.

US 53. Road comes in from the north as a four lane highway with a grassy median, a mostly rural setting that becomes commercial as it passes near Duluth International Airport in the grey area where the sparse Hermantown and the northern outskirts of Duluth meet. Under the name Miller Trunk Highway, the road continues in this way, the median becoming concrete with two left-turn lanes near Miller Hill Mall. The highway then turns south down Trinity Road, the median dissolving as it leaves the mall area. It then curves around Lake Superior College and descends, meeting with Piedmont Avenue, which it runs with as it drops, passing below Skyline Parkway and through the residential Goat Hill with an excellent view. It continues winding down through West End with ramps connecting to 21st Avenue West, becoming elevated and meeting with I-35 and I-535 at the Can of Worms. US 53 splits from I-535 after it touches down in Superior, the highways meeting at a criss-crossing intersection at the level of surface roads. After some confusion the north and southbound lanes of the highway reconnect and travel east, with a residential area to the south and industry to the north. Traveling along East 2nd Street it connects with US 2, splitting to the south after the highways part.

Section 2.3: State Highways

MN 23. Enters as a two-lane highway into Fond du Lac after crossing the St. Louis, merging with MN 210. Through Fond du Lac it is a four lane road with a wide, tree-lined median, under the name of West 3rd Street. After leaving Fond du Lac it narrows back into a two-lane rural highway, and winds through the forest on the north side of the St. Louis River. After ascending a brief ways the road heads north through New Duluth and Gary, a residential and slightly commercial area, this leg named Commonwealth Avenue, a two lane road with a center turn lane and parking lanes. Before meeting with Becks Road the setting becomes more forested, and after passing below the CN it becomes four lanes. After passing below Bardon’s Peak the road angles to the northeast and becomes Grand Avenue, continuing through the forest near the residential neighborhoods of Smithville and, after more forest and the ski hills of Spirit Mountain, Norton Park. Here it enters the much more inhabited Fairmount and runs straight on to the I-35, where it terminates with Grand Avenue continuing.

MN 39. Starts in residential southern New Duluth as a shady, two lane road named McCuen Street. After leaving the residential area, the road dips down to cross the LS&M in the wetlands of the St. Louis, then rises again to cross the Oliver Bridge, where it terminates and becomes WI 105.

MN 61. Starts at the northern terminus of I-35 as a four lane surface road under the name of the street it starts on, London Road. Here it drops a short ways with a fine view of Lake Superior, narrows into two lanes, and enters residential Congdon, which is mostly forested here with large houses, including Glensheen, on the south side of the road, built on the shore. Before meeting with 40th Avenue East the road curves to the east, passing apartment and nursing home complexes, and continues at about its original heading through residential Lakeside, becoming Congdon Boulevard at 60th Avenue East, after which it crosses the Lester River, passes Brighton Beach, and rises into a four lane expressway with a grassy median that continues on up the shore.

MN 194. Stems from I-35 as a four lane surface road with a grassy, sloped median named Mesaba Avenue, which climbs steeply along downtown and Central Hillside, the lanes meeting at 4th Avenue West; throughout are excellent views. The highway turns north, running along Central Entrance with four lanes, continuing to climb and summiting in Duluth Heights, which is residential but commercial along the road. Moving west the setting turns residential, then, after a short climb, commercial after entering the mall area, terminating where it meets with US 53.

MN 210. Comes in from the west as a rural two lane highway that swells to four lanes with a grassy median as it passes below I-35 and melts back into two lanes afterwords. It then runs through a rural area before running along a glacial hill, over the BNSF, and through the town of Carlton. It then returns to the forest, crossing the St. Louis River and turning south upon reaching the town of Thomson, where it becomes a winding, scenic route along the St. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park, moving through the valley and its forking ravines before terminating at MN 23 in Fond du Lac.

WI 35. Comes in from the south as a rural two lane highway and starts as shown on the map in the residential Superior Village, as Tower Avenue. After crossing the CP it grows a center turn lane and enters South End,

which is mostly residential, as well as somewhat commercial along the main road. The setting becomes more commercial and sparse as the highway passes through the airport area and to the north returns to a residential and commercial area before running through downtown Superior (see landmark 108 for more details) and the industrial/commercial North End after crossing the UP and turns east at North 3rd Street where it terminates with US 53.

WI 105. Starts on the Oliver Bridge at MN 39 and runs through and east of the town of Oliver as the rural two lane Union Street. The road then angles to the northeast and becomes Central Avenue, and then becomes 61st Street as it heads east into South End, where it terminates.

Section 2.4: Surface Roads

Roads are only described here to the extent that they’re shown on the map. Roads marked with a star are on the map, but are not labeled.

*1st Street. Located in Spirit Valley, a short industrial road from 46th Avenue West to Superior Street.

4th Street. Main road through residential East Hillside and Endion. Climbs gradually until Wallace Avenue (not shown) at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, then descends, meeting Hawthorne Road and moving on to the east.

*5th Avenue West. Road between Harbor Drive and Superior Street in downtown Duluth. The road begins to climb after crossing Michigan Street, becomes brick, and widens to accommodate a median with plantings. North of Superior Street it continues climbing and stops at 1st Street.

6th Avenue East. Continuation of Central Entrance as it descends through residential East Hillside that ends at 2nd Street to the south after passing the Essentia Health campus. To the north of Central Entrance it is a smaller, more obscure road.

18th Avenue East. Road through residential eastern Superior, connects to 28th Street and East 2nd Street.

*20th Avenue West. Short road in commercial/industrial West End that an exit from US 53 empties onto.

21st Avenue East. Busy road in residential Endion that, from London Road, climbs at a fairly steep grade to Woodland Avenue, where it continues briefly into a dead end.

*21st Avenue West. In West End, climbs from Michigan Street to 6th Street, with an exit onto/off of US 53 near 2nd Street.

*23rd Avenue East. In residential/commercial East End, used here to access 24th Avenue East, which terminates before meeting East 2nd Street.

24th Avenue East. Road starting in East End that heads south west between the Calumet and Enbridge refineries, through a rural area south of the CP yard, and ends in residential South End.

*24th Avenue West. Road that connects Piedmont Avenue to Skyline Parkway. In retrospect, this should be included as a marked road and should be lengthened to connect to Superior Street via residential Lincoln Park, a descent down a somewhat steep grade that oversize and overweight trucks have to be routed through since they can’t safely navigate the Can of Worms.

28th Street. In a sparse area of eastern Superior, running along an abandoned rail line from 18th Avenue East all the way to the Pokegama Wetlands, here terminating at Hill Avenue.

*31st Street. Tiny road used here to access Benna Ford. Continues east to Heritage Park.

*37th Street. Very brief road in the Superior airport area that connects to Henry Cohen Drive, continues east to Superior Middle School.

*39th Avenue West. In industrial/commercial Denfeld, connecting Superior Street and Grand Avenue. Continues north into a residential area and to the south where it terminates with a ramp off of the I-35.

40th Avenue West. Runs through industrial Denfeld from the I-35 to Grand Avenue. A Potential extension climbs through a residential area and, after crossing the CN, becomes Haines Road.

*43rd Avenue West. Short segment of the road in industrial Oneota, depicted here running south from 1st Street.

*45th Avenue East. Road in Lakeside that heads north from London Road, climbing slightly, and crosses the NSSR and Lakewalk before meeting Superior Street. It continues on through Lakeside until Glenwood Street.

*46th Avenue West. Stems from the northern end of the Bong Bridge, heading north through Spirit Valley, soon meeting with Grand Avenue. The road continues north, climbing into residential Cody.

*56th Street. Brief road in South End connecting Tower Avenue to 24th Avenue East.

*60th Avenue East. Connecting road between London Road and Superior Street in Lakeside. Continues climbing through eastern Lakeside.

61st Street. See WI 105.

Airport Road. Heads north from Miller Trunk Highway and curves around the federal prison camp, the hangars of Duluth International Airport on the north side. After crossing Cirrus Drive it continues briefly before reaching a dead end.

Arrowhead Road. After branching from Miller Trunk Highway, it enters a rural area and heads straight east, rolling slightly with some suburbs to the south. As the road enters Kenwood the suburbs become larger and closer to the road, with a brief commercial area in the heart of Kenwood. The road then curves, continuing to roll, between Bagley and Hartley nature areas, then runs straight through residential Hunters Park to Woodland Avenue. At the eastern terminus here the road continues and descends

gradually, soon stopping at a dead end; at the western terminus the road continues due west through sparse, largely rural Hermantown.

Becks Road. Starts at I-35 and briefly runs parallel to the freeway, passing below the CN. It continues, roughly level, running parallel to the railroad before turning south at a four-way intersection. It rolls slightly as it moves through the rural far western outskirts, and begins to descend just west of Ely’s Peak. It the crosses over the CN and curves around Ely’s Peak and glides through an open area, where Ely’s Peak, Bardon’s Peak, and the CN are all prominently seen before connecting with Commonwealth Avenue. The environment around the road is rural throughout with occasional houses.

Belknap Street. For most of the road, see US 2. West out of the roundabout the street continues through residential Billings Park and terminates at the St. Louis River, here ending at Susquehanna Avenue.

*Burning Tree Road. Very brief road here connecting Miller Trunk Highway to Mall Drive. It continues south through the commercial mall area.

Carlton Street. Runs diagonally from Grand Avenue to Michigan Street, with Superior Street meeting it, in industrial West End. The western part of the street passes below the Hallet Docks.

Central Avenue (MN). Road in residential Irving and commercial Spirit Valley. Connection to Waseca Industrial Road and Grand Avenue, continuing north into residential Oneota.

Central Avenue (WI). See WI 105.

Central Entrance. See MN 194. Continuing east of the intersection with Mesaba Avenue and Rice Lake Road the road descends and curves with fantastic views, terminating at 6th Avenue East.

Cirrus Drive. Short, curving road connecting Miller Trunk Highway to Airport Road.

*Clough Avenue. Short road in an open area of industrial northern Superior connecting North 3rd Street to East 2nd Street.

Commonwealth Avenue. See MN 23.

*Cumming Avenue. Here a short industrial road connecting North 1st Street and US 53 at North 3rd Street, running parallel to the towering Blatnik Bridge. The road does resume to the south and continue for a ways.

*Dock Street. Industrial road into the CHS grain terminal.

East 2nd Street. See US 53 and US 2.

*East 5th Street. Very brief road here in Superior’s East End, connects 23rd and 24th Avenues East. The road continues to the north and south for considerable length through residential eastern Superior.

*East Street. Very brief road in industrial NE Superior, part of access to East 2nd Street from Winter Street.

East Union Street. See WI 105.

Garfield Avenue. Industrial road down Rice’s Point. Starts in West End after branching from Superior Street and crosses over Michigan Street and I-35. It then drops to a surface road running down the point and merges with US 53/I-535 at the end of the BNSF yard and near the CP yard.

Glenwood Street. Represented here it is a large dip from Snively Road to Skyline Parkway, connecting Morley Heights to the west to Lakeside to the east and below in elevation.

Grand Avenue. Significant road starting from Commonwealth Avenue below Bardon’s Peak (see MN 23). After passing below I-35 it acts as the main street for commercial Spirit Valley and Denfeld before ending at Carlton Street. The road in real life continues east through residential Lincoln Park as 3rd Street.

Haines Road. In the mall area, a connection between Miller Trunk Highway and Mall Drive. Near Denfeld, a road that stems from 40th Avenue West at the CN and winds as it ascends through a deep ravine, part natural and part man-made, where it meets with Skyline Parkway.

*Halvor Lane. Industrial road in western Superior, north of Billings Park, connecting Susquehanna Avenue and Maryland Avenue. Hammond Avenue. Connection between Winter Street and the Blatnik Bridge in residential/commercial North End. Road continues to the south all the way to the airport area.

*Harbor Drive. Starts from 5th Avenue in downtown Duluth after crossing I-35 and drops, part of it shown here splitting and curving sharply onto Railroad Street. The road continues south after the split and curves around the DECC, running along the edge of Superior Bay and the Minnesota Slip before connecting with Railroad Street.

*Hawthorne Road. Descends steeply from 4th Street in residential Congdon, curving slightly and meeting with Superior Street. Continues to the south as a short residential road and to the north as a curving climb.

*Helberg Drive. Branches from Garfield Avenue on Rice’s Point and heads south to the port terminal beside the CP yard.

*Henry Cohen Drive. Frontage road in the commercial airport area of Superior.

Hill Avenue. Heads due north from 24th Avenue East in rural Superior, soon passing an industrial area and terminating here at 28th Street.

*James Day Avenue. Short industrial road in an industrial area of central Superior, connecting Randy Johnson and Kirk Rolson Streets.

*Joshua Avenue. Brief road in Duluth’s mall area opposite of Miller Trunk Highway from Trinity Road.

*Kirk Rolson Street. Brief industrial road in central Superior branching from Hill Avenue.

Lake Avenue. Branching from Railroad Street in the tourist region of Canal Park, heading south across the Aerial Lift Bridge (trucks rare but allowed if needed, must travel along center line if carrying oversize load) and continuing straight on Minnesota Point, soon angling and becoming

Minnesota Avenue. The avenue, north out of Canal Park, crosses above I-35 and climbs after passing Superior Street, ending in residential Central Hillside. London Road. For most of this road, see MN 61. From the terminus of MN 61 and I-35 it climbs slightly while moving west at four lanes through commercial/residential southern Endion, ending here at 21st Avenue East, continuing in real life to Superior Street.

*Main Street. Industrial road down Connor’s Point in north Superior, stemming from North 5th Street.

*Mall Drive. Frontage road along Miller Trunk Highway in Duluth’s mall area.

*Maryland Avenue. Small industrial road in NW Superior, extending south from Winter Street.

Maple Grove Road. Significant road in residential Duluth Heights and Hermantown, shown here as a connection between Mall Drive and Miller Trunk Highway.

McCuen Street. See MN 39.

Mesaba Avenue. See MN 194.

*Michigan Street. Notable road, shown here in two segments, one connecting parts of Superior Street in Oneota, the other continuing off of Carlton Street through West End. The road continues briefly to the west, and more significantly to the east, where it meets and soon parts with Superior Street and runs through downtown Duluth.

*Mike Colalilo Drive. Short road here connecting 46th Avenue West to the Spirit Valley Menards. Road continues on to Central Avenue.

Miller Trunk Highway. See US 53.

Minnesota Avenue. Road down residential Minnesota Point, starting from Lake Avenue near the point’s marina. Setting becomes rural as Park Point Recreation Center is neared. There the road curves around the center’s field and runs along the sand dunes of the Barrens to Sky Harbor Airport.

The continuing road leading to the job site here is an unnamed dirt/sand road that runs along the airport’s perimeter fence.

*North 1st Street. Industrial road in northern Superior that passes along slips and below the Blatnik Bridge.

*North 3rd Street. Brief industrial road in northern Superior that runs from Tower to Clough Avenue.

*North 5th Street. Connects East 2nd Street to Main Street in NE Superior.

*Occidental Boulevard. A parkway that runs along Amity Creek in the western edge of Lester Park in eastern Lakeside. The southern end is at Superior Street, and at the north it turns into Seven Bridges Road after crossing the Amity.

*Piedmont Avenue. Starts at the northern end of Garfield Avenue and climbs about due west, merging with US 53; that part of the road is not marked here, but, in retrospect, should be, since it’s the route for oversize trucks out of Rice’s Point. The road runs with US 53 and splits shortly after passing below Skyline Parkway, ending here with 24th Avenue West. In real life it continues on through residential Piedmont.

*Port Terminal Road. Claw-shaped industrial road at the end of Rice’s Point, providing access to the Port Terminal and other industrial terminals.

*Railroad Avenue. Access road in Allouez to the BNSF taconite facility.

*Railroad Street. Starts as an industrial road on Rice’s Point, branching from Garfield Avenue. Moving east, after passing Bayfront, the setting becomes less industrial, and the road widens into four lanes separated by a grassy, tree-lined median that becomes concrete east of intersecting with Harbor Avenue at the Minnesota Slip. The road here ends where Lake Avenue turns south, but continues with Lake to Canal Park Drive, where Lake Avenue heads north across I-35.

*Randy Johnson Street. Short industrial road in central Superior, connecting Hill Avenue and James Day Avenue.

*Rice Lake Road. Significant road that here is very short, a mere access road to MNDOT. It continues with three lanes, one a center turn lane, winding through residential/rural Duluth Heights and Kenwood before heading about due north out of Duluth, terminating quite a ways later at Island Lake.

Seven Bridges Road. Parkway in Amity Park that winds up through the ravine of Amity Creek, crossing the creek with, of course, seven bridges. A scenic road, most popular during the fall colors, that runs from Occidental Boulevard to the intersection with Skyline Parkway and Maxwell Road in a remote part of Duluth.

Skyline Parkway. A road with no access to job sites (save for occasional construction projects) and, since it includes old and/or small bridges and sharp turns, very likely cannot accommodate semi tractors, but is included as an easter egg, hidden so Route Advisor won’t set a course along it. This would serve the same purpose as the in-game rendering of CA 1, the road around Sentinel Peak in Tucson, and the hidden off-road course near Ely. Here the entire parkway is drawn in five segments, ideally at least one being rendered. The parkway is famous for its bridges, overlooks with boulders acting as rudimentary bollards, and woodland scenery and wildlife. Segment I. Starts at Becks Road and starts heading east, here climbing up the North Shore Highlands and through the forest. At Bardon’s Peak the first overlooks are encountered, the first one on the right side of the road (where all overlooks on the parkway are, at least going in this direction) with a view of Ely’s Peak, the second of almost all of the Twin Ports (see landmark 12). After switchbacking a bit it gradually descends above Morgan Park and curves again at the ravines of Snively and Stewart Creeks, the latter crossed with an old stone bridge (landmark 13). Continuing on it passes through Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, cresting the top of the ski hill with an obstructed view. Soon it widens near Knowlton Creek and I-35, which it crosses in a somewhat commercial area. Segment II. After crossing I-35, it runs parallel and above I-35 on Thompson Hill with an impressive view. After crossing US 2 it returns to the forest, somewhat winding with one overlook at a power easement near a small residential area. It then meets with Vinland Street and crosses Getchell Road/Highland Street, which, looking down the street,

offers a fine view. It then ascends, winding around a tight switchback crossing Keene Creek. Past the switchback it continues climbing and winds slightly over Oneota Cemetery with intermittent views, later slipping below the cliffs of Brewer Park. Soon it starts to descend to meet Haines Road, with an overlook prior to that meet. The road runs with Haines for a brief ways, then splits and continues rising very gradually with an abundance of views, especially in the rocky area of Piedmont Knob. It descends and turns slightly into residential Piedmont, where it meets with 24th Avenue West, connecting to US 53 via Piedmont Avenue. Segment III. After crossing 24th Avenue West, the road passes over US 53 with an excellent view. After rising and curving along the Enger Park Golf Course it curves along Enger Peak with spectacular panoramic views. It then slips between the Twin Ponds and runs through residential West Hillside with views as it curves to the north, where on the hillside above mansions are perched. After running briefly through a more common residential area it runs with Mesaba Avenue. Segment IV. Splits from Rice Lake Road after crossing Central Entrance with fine views of Lake Superior. It then passes through residential Duluth Heights before running through a peculiar five-way intersection, after which it rises slightly and passes below large hilltop homes with intermittent views. It then climbs gradually as it curves around a large bowl-shaped turn in the ravine of Chester Creek. After this it follows West Kent Road through residential Endion to Woodland Avenue. Segment V. Parts from Woodland Avenue in residential Morley Heights as Snively Road with intermittent views. It then follows Glenwood Street, dipping slightly before parting as an independent road and climbing to Hawk Ridge. At the ridge it summits, then descends, winding between short ridges and tall pines before finally terminating at Seven Bridges Road.

Snively Road. See Skyline Parkway, Segment V.

*Spring Street. Drops from Grand Avenue through residential Riverside, terminating at Spirit Lake Marina.

Superior Street. One of Duluth’s main thoroughfares, which is represented here in almost its entirety. It starts in the west in industrial Denfeld near 40th Avenue West and soon turns down onto Michigan Street, which it follows. After crossing Carlton Street it runs straight on (north of Michigan

Street, which is mistakenly marked here as Superior Street) and returns to being rendered on the map in commercial West End, which features small patches of green space protruding from sidewalks into the parking lanes. At the Point of Rocks it reaches a confluence with Michigan Street. Continuing east it widens, the westbound lane branching with an exit onto I-35 and an exit onto the street from Mesaba Avenue, bluffs of Observation Hill standing above; the eastbound lane passes over the previously mentioned exit onto I-35 and splits, one branch a ramp onto Mesaba Avenue and the other a continuation of Superior Street, the east and west bound lanes meeting just before passing below the northbound lane of Mesaba. It then runs through downtown Duluth, a commercial and financial area with brick sidewalks and parking lanes, brick avenues, and historic street lamps and buildings, as well as Skywalk bridges that cross over Superior Street. After crossing Lake Avenue into a part of downtown referred to as Old Downtown or HART (Historic Arts and Theater) District, a more tourist/hipster oriented area where the street is paved with bricks. At 4th Avenue East it leaves downtown and the street returns to more conventional paving. It then curves around Fitgers and the picturesque lakefront shops nearby, crossing over I-35’s tunnels and separated from its trench by green space. Near the elite Gitchii Gamii Club it resumes its straight path, running near the St. Luke’s campus and commercial East Hillside. It then climbs gradually, summiting in Endion at 24th Avenue East, where, to the west, is a view of downtown and Bardon’s Peak, and to the east is Moose Mountain. It then descends into Congdon, only to rise again after crossing the Tischer, then drops again into Lakeside, where it acts as the main street, with the Lakewalk and NSSR on the south side of the street. In eastern Lakeside it deviates from the path and railroad, crosses over the confluence of the Lester and Amity, and, with residential Lakeside fading, connects to MN 61. Not rendered here, it crosses the expressway and continues on well to the east, terminating in Lakewood, the far, far eastern frontier of Duluth.

*Susquehanna Avenue. Road in western Superior connecting Belknap Street and Winter Street.

*Thompson Hill Visitors Center Parkway. Brief, small road at the Thompson Hill Visitors Center and overlook near the junction of US 2 and I-35.

Tower Avenue. See WI 35. Continues a short ways from North 3rd Street to North 1st Street.

Trinity Road. See US 53.

*Truck Route Street. Short industrial road connecting Winter Street to East Street.

Waseca Industrial Road. Curving road used to access Waseca Industrial Park in Irving. Through the road’s large curve, crossing the BNSF twice, the road descends and is surrounded by trees to the north of the BNSF yard and wetlands to the south. As of early 2018, an expansion of the road and truck route to Grand Avenue is planned.

*West Kent Road. Connection from Skyline Parkway to Woodland Avenue in residential Chester Park.

Winter Street. Starts in western Superior as an industrial road, running an a somewhat sparse area, just south of the BNSF. To the east it crosses multiple tracks north of the BNSF yard and proceeds across Tower Avenue north of downtown Superior and runs through residential central Superior south of the UP, which it crosses to the east. In the more industrial eastern Superior it terminates after passing below East Second Street, which it accesses via Truck Route Street and East Street.

Woodland Avenue. Branches due north from 4th Street in Endion, curving around the commercial Bluestone and Mount Royal centers before entering residential Hunters Park. It winds again near Hartley Nature Center, north of it residential Woodland, where the road here terminates, in real life continuing north to the rural northern limits of the city.

Section 2.5: Railroads

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF). Prominent railroad in the Twin Ports. First featured here in Carlton, it runs along MN 210 to the south and crosses below the highway after branching from the mainline. The town, which was where Jay Cooke began work on the Northern Pacific Transcontinental Line, sports a small yard. Freight types here are varied,

typically manifest or hopper consists. Locomotives here are often road switchers or road engines, commonly seen here the popular BNSF Executive liveried SD70MAcs. In Superior the BNSF comes up from the south through Saunders Junction and runs north into a large yard where UP and CP locomotives are also commonly seen, as well as rare “foreign” locomotives, typically NS, but on occasion CSX, Ferromex, or Heritage Units; the track also heads northeast from Saunders into Allouez Taconite. In north Superior the BNSF has trackage serving numerous freight terminals, and runs along Winter Street and below US 2 before crossing the St. Louis into Minnesota via the Grassy Point swing bridge, which is typically crossed by road or yard switchers that shuttle short consists between the cities. At the other side of the bridge in Irving is a fairly small yard with many industrial spurs. The railroad continues north of the yard, along and below the Hallet Docks, and terminates at Rice’s Point Yard, where consists are typically manifest freight or hoppers and locomotives are yard and road switchers.

Canadian National (CN). Another very prominent railroad. In Superior it enters from the south, heading west at Parkland and sharing track with the UP, which then splits at Saunders Junction. The CN continues west through Pokegama Yard and runs through Oliver, over the Oliver Bridge, through Steelton Yard, and up the challenging Steelton Grade along Becks Road. Consists across this stretch are typically manifest freight or intermodal, tanker, hopper, or autorack consists, with locomotives often being GEVO road engines. If one is lucky, UP, NS, BNSF, or even CSX locomotives can be seen on this trackage. After crossing above I-35 the track splits, the track shown here connecting with more of the CN at Adolf and heading south through Proctor Yard, where consists are often manifest freight or hoppers. From there Piedmont Grade starts, where road switchers, including some in fallen flag liveries such as DM&IR, B&LE, and IC, move long consists of taconite down to the Hallet Docks and limestone up from them, turning around at Mesabi Junction near the Lakehead Facility.

Canadian Pacific (CP). Comes in from the south via BNSF trackage and splits at Saunders, one branch going via the UP/CN to Ambridge, where it heads north to Stinson Yard. The other branch continues north and diverges at South Superior, moving on to Stinson and a small yard near

the refineries. Out of the former yard it heads north to join with the UP, and out of the latter it heads straight on to eastern Superior, and then on to the north. The CP also has a yard at the end of Rice’s Point. Consists seen here are often manifest freight, and locomotives are typically road switchers.

Lake Superior and Mississippi (LS&M). Small excursion line in west Duluth, starting in Irving where it branches from the BNSF. It winds down the western bank of the St. Louis River, crossing through Riverside and New Duluth. The consist here is three cars, two old DM&IR chair cars and an open-air observation car. The locomotive is a yellow GE 44 Ton switcher. Trains here are infrequent, running twice daily on weekends in the summer as late as 2016.

North Shore Scenic Railroad (NSSR). A larger, more popular, yet younger excursion operation based out of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in downtown Duluth. Much of the route runs along I-35 as it follows the North Shore of Lake Superior, and crosses below MN 61 at the terminus of the freeway. At Lakeside it rejoins the road, running along Superior Street, later crossing high over the Lester River and crossing MN 61 before continuing on to Two Harbors. Consists here are of varied passenger rolling stock from different eras and railroads, including a Burlington Route dome car, three CNW bi-level chair cars, two elegant DM&IR pullman cars, and a GN Empire Builder dining car. Locomotives are diverse, including two DM&IR and one Soo road switchers; two F Units, one Soo and one Erie Mining; and one steam locomotive, a D&NE Consolidation.

Union Pacific (UP). Shares trackage with the BNSF and CN, heading north at Parkland into Itasca Yard, then running through eastern Superior and along Winter Street in northern Superior, ending at the BNSF yard. Consists are often manifest freight or hoppers, and locomotives are often road engines and switchers.

Section 2.6: Air Traffic

In Superior, aircraft are small, typically single-prop private or tour/skydiving aircraft. Sky Harbor Airport on Minnesota Point is similar, mostly helicopters and seaplanes. In both cases, air traffic isn’t very common. Duluth International Airport, however, is slightly different. While small aircraft are common here as well, regional jets of Delta, American, and US Airlines are frequent, as are F-16s and C-130s of the US Air National Guard. The C-130s, those sky whales, commonly fly in loops over Duluth, especially over the nearby mall area.

Section 2.7: Maritime Traffic

Water vessels native to the Twin Ports are mostly small private boats, with some charter fishing vessels. Notable exceptions are the Vista Fleet, an excursion fleet of two small ships; the USCG Alder, and a fleet of tugboats. Ships visiting are almost always cargo ships, often bulk freighters from the US and Canada, some exceeding 1000 feet in length. Seafaring ships (“Salties”) are also common, and are often grain vessels or heavy lift/multi purpose ships. Exceptions to freight traffic are tall ships, sailing vessels that visit infrequently, usually every other summer or so. Large yachts are rare, and when they visit, they come with the tall ships or for the famous and popular Bayfront Blues Festival. Naval vessels and cruise ships do not visit Duluth, although some ships of the former type have been built in Fraser Shipyards during World War II, and some of the latter last visited in 2011.