Polk County will have its’ first roundabout by 2024. It’ll be located at the intersection of County Road 21 & Highway 75 North of Crookston. The decision comes after another T-bone accident that took place at that intersection earlier this month.
Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders explained the cost of the project and some of the logistics behind it. “The roundabout will cost roughly $2 million with the realignment of Highway 75 included in that,” said Sanders. “Because of the location of the roundabout near the railroad tracks and the need for enough space to not block the roundabout, the intersection will be moved about 100 feet to the west, and because of this, the highway will need to be realigned to match up with the circle.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) will cover roughly 70% of the cost for the project, while the county will pay the rest. Polk County will be the lead agency in the project and work with Widseth to have the roundabout designed and meet MNDOT requirements.
The main reason for the roundabout is for the safety of citizens traveling that road. “We’ve had another uptick in T-bone crashes at that location,” said Sanders. “Those heading East are getting T-boned by the traffic coming north on Highway 75. We’ve had a problem at that intersection for a while now, and so one way to totally get rid of that type of crash is to put in a roundabout.”
There was a discussion by the board of County Commissioners at their meeting this past Tuesday on whether the project was worth using the money. After a lengthy discussion, the board voted to pass the agenda item, and the project surveying is already starting to take place three years in advance.
Sanders talked about the funding more and how much the County will have to cover. “So we’re getting highway safety improvement funds that are federal dollars,” said Sanders. “MnDOT put in an application and received $1.3 million, and Polk County put in an application and received another $400,000. So out of the $2 million, almost $1.7 million will be from federal funds for the project.
Another concern with the roundabout was if it would be more dangerous driving that road late at night for people who are using too the straight roadway. Sanders spoke on some of the safety precautions that will be taking place along with the roundabout design. “As part of the design, there will be more intersection lighting at that location,” said Sanders. “The whole intersection will be lite out, so you will know that something is coming when you approach it. It should be a great benefit to the area and a much safer option.”
The roundabout will also be tailored to the local trucking businesses that drive those roads. Sanders has already discussed it with the businesses and gotten trailer measurements to get their equipment through the roundabout without any issues.
Sanders says the goal is to get approval on the project plan sometime in 2023 so it can be completed in the summer of 2024. “We are starting surveying already, and Widseth will be the consultant and design the circle while we design the legs for the roadways,” said Sanders. “We’re hoping to have an approved plan by November of 2023 so that we can have it constructed that summer in 2024.”
There are other intersections in Polk County that Sanders hopes will eventually get roundabouts; however, there is no timetable for those, and this will be the only one in the county for the time being.
