Hwy 33 meeting coming in May

The future of Highway 33 intersections at Carlton and Cloquet avenues will be the subject of a second public meeting at 6 p.m. May 9 at the Cloquet Middle School cafeteria (2001 Washington Ave.).

“After gathering feedback on alternatives and analyzing traffic and safety data,” the Minnesota Department of Transportation said it will share the results of information gathered at its second public meeting.

The first meeting, at the Cloquet Public Library in February, drew strong criticism about roundabouts proposed for those intersections, and planners seemed receptive to continuing to use signals at those locations.

“People aren’t sharing the feeling that (roundabouts are) appropriate,” MnDOT project manager Josie Olson said at the time. “If the signal is working fine from a community perspective, that’s awesome.”

MnDOT has a $3.2 million budget and project planned in 2028 along the Highway 33 corridor from Big Lake Road/Doddridge Avenue to the St. Louis River bridge.

There will be a brief presentation and time to ask questions, MnDOT said about the upcoming meeting. According to the project website, “the scope (of the project) is unclear at this point, but there is currently a traffic study underway to determine the recommended intersection control at Cloquet Avenue and Carlton Avenue.”