2027-2030 Duluth Area TIP (under development)

Transportation projects proposed to receive federal funding through 2030

Note, This TIP is under development for next year — the current (2026-2029) Duluth TIP is linked at right.

Federally-funded transportation projects can be big, expensive, and time-sensitive — which means they need to be planned in advance. 

We’re working now, in 2026, to line up new Duluth-Area projects for construction in 2030. The projects listed for 2027, 2028, and 2029 were approved in previous TIPs. Each new TIP adds projects for the fourth year—in this case, 2030.

Before a surface transportation project can be built in the Duluth area with federal funds, it must be included in a Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP – a detailed listing of the area’s federally funded and regionally significant transportation projects for the next four years.

Each year the MIC develops and adopts a new TIP for the upcoming four years in a process that’s based on jurisdictional coordination and includes opportunities for public input. 

See the Public Involvement tab, below, for information about how projects were selected and for opportunities to give your input into the upcoming projects proposed to receive federal funds.

Duluth-Area TIP Project Applications for 2030 STBGP Funds

Two jurisdictions have submitted applications for 2030 Duluth-area TIP projects seeking federal STBG funding:

 City of Hermantown – Reconstruction of Hermantown Road from Okerstrom Rd to Haines Rd   View project application and MIC staff evaluation

 City of Duluth – 4th Street Reconstruction from Mesaba Ave to 6th Ave East
View project application and MIC staff evaluation

 Both projects will be presented for approval for inclusion in the Draft 2027-2030 Duluth Area TIP at the MIC Policy Board meeting on February 18, 2026. The meeting will be held at the Douglas County Building, Room 270, 1316 N 14th Street, Superior, WI 54880. The meeting is open to the public and comments will be taken.

Comments or questions may also be submitted in advance to TIP Coordinator, Eli Norlander (email link at right, above), who will forward them to Hermantown or Duluth staff and present all comments and responses to the Policy Board for consideration.

MIC Area STBG and CRP Funding Allocations for FY 2030

Every year, all MPOs, including the MIC, receive an allocation from the federal Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program to fund selected TIP projects within their respective planning areas.

In addition, the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) implemented by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) created an additional funding source through FY 2030 with a set-aside for MPOs to program.

The table below shows the funding amounts allocated for the Minnesota portion of the MIC Planning Area by year for these two programs:

MIC Area Federal Aid Funding Allocations
by Program and Fiscal Year
Funding Type 2028 2029 2030
STBG Already programmed Already programmed $1,794,000
CRP $210,000 $210,000 $210,000

As noted below, project applications were distributed to eligible jurisdictions for 2030 TIP projects using these funds. MIC staff will review the applications and present them to the MIC Policy Board for approval to include in the draft 2027–2030 Duluth Area TIP.

2030 STBGP Project Solicitation

Project applications were distributed to jurisdictions and agencies eligible to receive 2030 federal STBGP funds for projects in the greater Duluth planning area— St. Louis County, cities with a population over 5,000 (Duluth and Hermantown), the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA).

2030 Duluth area project submittals are due January 10, 2026.

2029 STBGP Pre-Application Meetng

MIC staff met with staff from local jurisdictions and MnDOT to review the MIC’s revised Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) application for Duluth area projects. The discussion covered potential 2030 projects, long-range goals and performance measures tied to TIP projects, the timeline for developing the 2027–2030 Duluth Area TIP, and available Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funds for eligible projects in the MIC planning area area.

Funded Projects

No projects match selected year



Programming federally funded infrastructure projects for the next four years

It is part of the MIC’s role as an MPO to work with state and local agencies to prioritize and program the region’s transportation projects and services that will receive anticipated federal funds.

Before any surface transportation project in the Duluth area can be constructed with federal funding, it must be included in a current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that has been approved by the MIC Policy Board.

TIP Development Process

TIP development involves a series of sequential steps to reach the project approval stage. It is a coordinated effort among state, regional and local agencies and jurisdictions responsible for implementing transportation projects.*

The TIP is prepared in cooperation with MnDOT, local transit providers and area jurisdictions as required by federal surface transportation law (FAST Act), and also in cooperation with the Northeast Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership (NE MN ATP) process.

The draft plan is made available for public comment, reviewed and approved by the MIC’s Transportation Advisory Committee and Policy Board, and submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The TIP development schedule, below, reflects the availability of funds, coordination with MnDOT and the NE MN ATP, local capital improvement budget processes, MPO public involvement requirements and the STIP development process. Important schedule milestones include:

(Oct/Nov) Project consultation – MPO meets with local jurisdictions
(Dec/Jan) Project solicitation – Applications for STBGP*-funded projects are distributed in December and due in January**
(Feb) Proposed projects – Presented for review and approval by the TAC and MIC for inclusion in the draft TIP
(Mar) If approved, the proposed projects are forwarded on to the Northeast Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership (NE MN ATP)
(Apr/May/Jun) Draft TIP document development and MnDOT preliminary review
(Jul) 30-day Draft TIP Public Involvement period
(Aug) MPO Policy Board approval of final TIP; adopted TIP and Board Resolution submitted to MnDOT
(Nov/Dec) Federal (FHWA, FTA) review and approvals; the MIC’s TIP is incorporated into the MnDOT STIP***

*Surface Transportation Block Grant Fund
**Eligible agencies and jurisdictions include the state of Minnesota (MnDOT), St. Louis County, the Cities of Duluth, Hermantown, Proctor and Rice Lake and the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA)
***Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

Public Involvement

Public participation is an integral part of transportation planning in general and the development of the TIP in particular. All public comments received for the draft document are presented for consideration by the Transportation Advisory Committee and the MIC Policy Board and are included in the final TIP.

How are TIP projects selected?

All projects must be identified in the MIC’s current 25-year Long Range Transportation Plan in support of the Duluth-Superior area’s goals and transportation system needs. In addition, the MIC evaluates and prioritizes each proposal based on the following criteria:

• Regional Benefit: What are the project’s merits/benefits and intended effect upon the regional transportation network and what are the project’s estimated benefits relative to its cost?
• Mobility: How will the project improve the mobility of people and goods?
• Planning Support: How will the project incorporate the MIC’s Long Range Transportation Plan, other MIC studies and related plans and studies?
• Multimodal Connectivity: How does the project encompass multiple modes of travel?
• Environmental Impacts: Where is the project’s location and what potential environmental and community impacts does it potentially pose?
• Public Participation: What level of public participation has been undertaken or will take place for the proposed project?

Amendments

Projects may be amended into the current, approved TIP throughout the year. Amendments usually modify existing projects as changes to the scope, cost or timeline for programmed projects occur. Sometimes new projects may be added if new funding becomes available. The process for developing and amending a TIP are specified in the MIC’s Public Involvement Plan.

Performance Management

MAP-21 and FAST ACT require incorporation of Performance-Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) for use in the development of the MPO’s Transportation Improvement Plans.

The TIP includes a description of the anticipated effect of the TIP toward achieving the 23 C.F.R. 490 performance measure targets identified in the metropolitan transportation plan, linking investment priorities to those performance targets.