October 28
| 1992 | In the new Leif Erickson Tunnel, the ribbon is cut and balloons are dropped on the final link of I-35 through Duluth, MN. Mayor Gary Doty and U.S. Representative James Oberstar wield the giant plywood scissors. Oberstar calls the road a "citizens freeway" because of the long public involvement in designing the much acclaimed lake shore portion. Division Administrator Charles Foslien and Lawrence Staron, Chief of the Federal-Aid and Design Division, represent FHWA. On October 9, FHWA announced that the segment had received one of the Agency's biennial "Excellence in Highway Design" awards, noting that the designers "used cut and cover tunnels, architectural design treatments, and extensive landscaping to integrate the freeway into the surrounding urban environment and to create a pleasing driving experience." With the opening of this segment, I-35, a 1,500-mile freeway from Duluth to the Mexican border at Laredo, TX, is also completed.
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