Minnesota Notes

[Molandfreak]

I commented that the straight transposition of the former black interstate shields to red and blue several years ago looks sloppy and hard to read.

Heh, I was thinking the opposite. It would be pretty neat to have actual state/provincial highway shields on the map denoting the highways of Minnesota and its neighboring states/provinces.

Another thing I suggested was that the markers for amenities should use colors other than fuchsia, making them easier to differentiate. I also suggested marking the locations of a limited selection of county and regional parks in greater Minnesota, since they are mentioned within the Twin Cities Metro inset. Finally, I suggested making a Braille version available upon request from the website—and now you know the reason why!

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MnDOT is widening US 10 in Coon Rapids further, from Hanson Blvd to Round Lake Blvd.

https://www.startribune.com/congestion-relief-finally-coming-for-drivers-on-hwy-10-in-northwest-metro-as-major-project-kicks-off/601252152?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawJT_2hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZQZqMlpbIjbJNBzJ5FbuNbX-i0P7GSrqcCLK0b_4zie2PPm1YGiZAxdPw_aem_cylCR9UaYZp0ZZSe3F9Zyw

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/breaking-the-news/minnesota-lawmaker-ban-e-zpass-lanes/89-7535b35e-4b90-46bd-b194-a678d5b325f0

A lawmaker wants to ban the E-Z Pass lanes on the Twin Cities freeways and convert them into "dynamic shoulder lanes"...

"Engen plans on introducing a bill to ban the lanes altogether by banning user fees for "operation in dynamic shoulder lanes as designated by the commissioner and any designated high-occupancy vehicle lanes." His bill would give the commissioner of transportation the ability to designate lanes as "dynamic shoulder lanes."

Those lanes could operate as general purpose lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, or as shoulders – and would cost drivers nothing."

[TheCatalyst31]

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/breaking-the-news/minnesota-lawmaker-ban-e-zpass-lanes/89-7535b35e-4b90-46bd-b194-a678d5b325f0

A lawmaker wants to ban the E-Z Pass lanes on the Twin Cities freeways and convert them into "dynamic shoulder lanes"...

"Engen plans on introducing a bill to ban the lanes altogether by banning user fees for "operation in dynamic shoulder lanes as designated by the commissioner and any designated high-occupancy vehicle lanes." His bill would give the commissioner of transportation the ability to designate lanes as "dynamic shoulder lanes."

Those lanes could operate as general purpose lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, or as shoulders – and would cost drivers nothing."

From the article: "I just don't think that the government necessarily needs to profit off of something that you need to get to work," Engen said.

Boy, wait until that guy finds out about the free lane you can use that's conveniently right next to the E-Z Pass lane. (Or, you know, bus fares, gas tax, vehicle registration fees...)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

It's one of those bills that isn't going to be taken seriously anyway, like when people try to remove the restrictions on I-35E.

[froggie]

Construction on a new US 169/MN 282 interchange in Jordan (long overdue) begins next week.

This is in addition to other nearby grade separation projects on 169.  A folded-diamond interchange is being built at CSAH 59, a couple miles southwest of Jordan, while an overpass (and nearby RIRO intersections at 166th St) is being built at Bluff Dr between Jordan and Shakopee.  Both are expected to be completed this year, while the Jordan interchange will stretch into 2027.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

What I wish they would do as a part of this (after the interchange is finished) is eliminate all the left turns to/from northbound 169 and TH 21. They're redundant and unnecessary, and probably barely used as it is.

[froggie]

That would be nice, but there are a handful of houses on the bluff side of 169 in the vicinity.  Unless they can find space to build a J-turn just to the north (or buy out the houses), they'll need to keep those median crossovers.  Which means keeping the left turns.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MnDOT has released its annual project list.

New:
-US 10 four-lane gap filling through Wadena
-I-94 six-lane gap filling between Albertville and Monticello
-TH 5 expansion in Victoria
-US 10 expansion in Coon Rapids between Hanson Blvd and Round Lake Blvd
-Conversion of I-35E/County J interchange from a half-diamond to a full interchange in Centerville
-US 169/TH 282 interchange construction in Jordan
-US 212 four-lane gap filling between Cologne and Norwood Young America
-US 10 interchange construction in Ramsey at Ramsey Blvd and Sunfish Lake Blvd
-US 53 bridge replacements at the northern TH 37 interchange and new roundabout in Virginia

Ongoing:
-I-494 reconstruction/MnPass lane addition in Bloomington
-I-35/535/US 53 interchange rebuild in Duluth, which will mostly be focused on US 53 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood now
-I-90/US 52 interchange reconstruction with SB-EB flyover outside Rochester
-westward extension of county road from TH 610 in Maple Grove
-Stone Arch Bridge rehabilitation
-TH 93 roadbed raising between Le Sueur and Henderson
-I-90 bridge replacements in Austin
-US 10/75 grade separation of railroad in Moorhead
-I-35 bridge replacements near Hinckley

New roundabouts:
TH 11/TH 313 in Warroad
TH 371/Cass CSAH 5 in Hackensack
US 53 at Progress Parkway in Virginia
US 169/TH 200 in Hill City
TH 3 at Rosemount High School
two on TH 41 in Chaska and Chanhassen
TH 97 at Fenway Ave in Forest Lake
TH 19 in Marshall
TH 27/TH 114

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/construction/

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Exit 0 has come to Minnesota! Sign replacement work on TH 36 in Roseville has brought Exit 0A to the Cleveland Ave exit, 0B for I-35W North, and 0C for Fairview Ave. In addition some previously unmentioned county routes have appeared on BGS, though not for CSAH 51 on Lexington Ave because of proximity to TH 51.

There was one unhappy casualty though, the remaining state-named I-35W when transitioning from WB 36 to SB 35W is gone.

[Mav94]

Exit 0 has come to Minnesota! Sign replacement work on TH 36 in Roseville has brought Exit 0A to the Cleveland Ave exit, 0B for I-35W North, and 0C for Fairview Ave. In addition some previously unmentioned county routes have appeared on BGS, though not for CSAH 51 on Lexington Ave because of proximity to TH 51.

There was one unhappy casualty though, the remaining state-named I-35W when transitioning from WB 36 to SB 35W is gone.

When I lived in the Cities 36 was one of my favorite freeways. Good thing too since I was on it all the time!

[The Ghostbuster]

If they had numbered the first three exits 1A/1B/1C, then existing 1ABC would have been numbered 1D/1E/1F. I guess that would have been too much of an alphabet soup for MNDOT.

[kphoger]

If they had numbered the first three exits 1A/1B/1C, then existing 1ABC would have been numbered 1D/1E/1F. I guess that would have been too much of an alphabet soup for MNDOT.

And also the headache of renumbering an exit for no real reason.

[Molandfreak]

If they had numbered the first three exits 1A/1B/1C, then existing 1ABC would have been numbered 1D/1E/1F. I guess that would have been too much of an alphabet soup for MNDOT.

And also the headache of renumbering an exit for no real reason.

None of these exits had numbers before.

[kphoger]

None of these exits had numbers before.

Ah, OK.  I interpreted "existing 1ABC" as meaning those numbers existed before.

[discochris]

If you're worried, an interesting thought would be keeping your hands off your phone while driving. If you struggle to do that to the point where you get dinged by robot police, I have no sympathy. It's not like the AI errors will be charging people either. It will flag things, and then real humans will review the footage.

Unless this AI can track your eyes through the windshield from dozens of feet away, all it's looking for is phone users and non-seatbelt users behind the wheel.

What exactly is concerning about this? Is it just a general distrust of AI? Not saying this will definitely make a huge difference in safety, but I support the DOT trying new things, especially on a problematic road like MN-7.

I thought that this kind of traffic enforcement was shut down by the state Supreme Court when Minneapolis was challenged on using red light cameras. How is this different?

[Molandfreak]

Cook County is looking to take over a stretch of The Grade (Forest Road 170) from Ball Club Road to Sawbill Trail. https://wtip.org/highway-department-explores-designating-the-grade-as-a-county-road/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR58WUZoxvoXOzOXBd6f1PchfeYSJG69MPJz01tE7uv6xGj5f_yJndv8YMxnZw_aem_nBg4uVezJ6_F0aiB-s6jnQ

[Molandfreak]

The old state name US 71 sign at the south entrance to Itasca State Park was removed.

[froggie]

Cook County is looking to take over a stretch of The Grade (Forest Road 170) from Ball Club Road to Sawbill Trail. https://wtip.org/highway-department-explores-designating-the-grade-as-a-county-road/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR58WUZoxvoXOzOXBd6f1PchfeYSJG69MPJz01tE7uv6xGj5f_yJndv8YMxnZw_aem_nBg4uVezJ6_F0aiB-s6jnQ

So named because much of it is a former railroad line.  You can see where the former rail grade deviates from the road in several locations if you zoom in enough on aerial imagery.

Two things I'm wondering about this idea:  first, what about the Lake County segment...as FR 170 extends into Lake County and ends at CSAH 7.  Second, what about the part of The Grade that is FR 153?