"Extreme Makeover: Road Repair Edition" Coming to Duluth

Duluth,MN

August 6-- A new series is in the works, and the Duluth area is about receive an asphalt overhaul.  Extreme Makeover: Road Repair seeks out communities that are saddled with tragic road systems, and in five days replaces the wretched roadways, restoring safety and “a smooth, pleasurable driving experience” to vehicle operators.

“We looked at a lot of cities and large towns, and Duluth had, by far, the highest number of incidences involving vehicles and small animals being swallowed up by potholes,”
explained executive producer Sandra Liebenstein.

For a five-day period in October, the entire city road and highway systems will be closed for replacement. During that time, the postal service will temporarily revert to the pony express system, and ambulances will be replaced with large radio flyer wagons fitted with off-road tires.

Local volunteers can sign up to help out, as show producers indicate there will be a considerable need for people to “stand on bridges and look down to see if the roads are turning out crooked or not”.

Producers promise that when finished, the roads will be smooth and free of potholes and other issues.

“We’re fairly confident—like, fifty-five percent certain—that the roads will be able to handle a very high number of Segways, Vespa Scooters, pedestrians, and probably a number of cars and smaller trucks. Semi trucks and larger vehicles should probably park in the Proctor area and use multiple, smaller vehicles to haul their cargo into the actual city.”

UMD has stepped up as a top-level sponsor of the project, and in recognition of their support, all dotted lane lines will be done in maroon and gold road paint. As a secondary sponsor, the Great Lake Aquarium will be acknowledged as well. Glow-in-the-dark paint will be used to create small images of fish swarming in an attack formation, in the middle of the intersection at Lake Avenue and Superior Street, and up Mesaba Avenue.

Local businesses, organizations, and individuals can help out the effort by sponsoring a turn lane for $5000, an arrow for $500, or some shoulder gravel for $50.