MnDOT Program a Fresh Idea

Mankato Free Press editorial (October 25, 2008)

A heated debate about rural Minnesota highways in Mankato got new MnDOT Commissioner Tom Sorel on the hot seat, but it appears he, and MnDOT, have reacted in at least one small way to assuage the rancor and make some roads safer.

A new MnDOT plan for road funding priorities unveiled in July left many local and regional officials upset and angry about the plan that appeared to make dangerous outstate roads less of a priority than expanding suburban and metro highways to handle more traffic.

The plan put some long-awaited southern Minnesota projects, like Highway 60 and Highway 14, even further back on the priority list. North Mankato Mayor Gary Zellmer, also a leader with the Highway 14 lobbying group, was one of the most vocal critics, calling the plan unbelievable and unacceptable.

Safety of these rural roads were of major concern, and Zellmer wrote Sorel noting that 150 people have been killed on the roadway since the mid-1980s. Under the new plan, one of the most dangerous stretches between North Mankato and New Ulm wasn’t going to see funding for 20 years.

In his defense, Sorel was reading the new transportation law as requiring almost all new money be spent on bridges.

Things have changed a bit since then, and for the better on the issue of safety on those roads. Legislative leaders from southern Minnesota have been working with Sorel and MnDOT to modify they timeline on safety improvements. Rep. Terry Morrow, DFL-St. Peter, met with Sorel to suggest the changes and push for at least preliminary safety improvements.

In fact, on Sept. 4, MnDOT announced it would start looking at safety improvements to rural roads that go back and forth from two-lanes to four-lanes. An evaluation of Highway 60 that involved reviewing crash history, traffic volumes and interregional connections helped MnDOT design safety improvements for that roadway. Sorel vowed to do the same study with Highway 14 as well, and other rural Minnesota roads.

Even though design improvement and major changes may still take years, Sorel said immediate safety improvements like rumble strips, new lighting, “innovative signing” and educational “Safe Community Coalitions” can be implemented.

These measures make sense and don’t cost a lot of money. It’s one way the new commissioner appears to be coming up with ways to satisfy important constituencies and maximize MnDOT resources for safety.