Overview

 

Status

• Construction Proposed

 

Location

• Detroit Lakes, MN

 

Schedule

• Summer of 2014

 

Description

• Construct a roundabout at Hwy 59 & Willow Street

 

 

 

Project Details

• The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Hwy 59 and Willow Street in Detroit Lakes during the 2014 construction season.

 

Benefits

• Improved safety - A roundabout can dramatically improve safety compared to an intersection with a traditional traffic signal due to slower speeds and safer collision impact angles.
• Improved mobility - Roundabouts can improve traffic flow, reduce delay and improve fuel efficiency.
• Improved pedestrian and bicycle safety – Non-motorized users cross only one lane of traffic at a time, with a safe refuge area in the splitter island.

 

Cost

• Engineers are preparing a detailed estimate. Project costs will be divided between MnDOT and the City of Detroit Lakes.

 

 

Project History

A Detroit Lakes Transportation Planning Study was conducted from November 2009 to February 2011 by HR Green, a consulting firm. It examined current and projected transportation needs west of Hwy 59 in Detroit Lakes.

 

One of the recommendations included in the study is a roundabout at the intersection of Hwy 59 and Willow Street. Read the entire final report

In August 2012, MnDOT and consulting firm HR Green shared the initial roundabout designs at a public meeting in Detroit Lakes.

Driving through a roundabout

• Slow down as you approach the roundabout.
• Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the roadway.
• Watch for signs or pavement markings that require or prohibit certain movements.
• When entering a roundabout, yield to vehicles already in the roundabout. Do not cross into the roundabout until all traffic from the left has cleared.
• After entering the roundabout, drive in a counter-clockwise direction until you reach your exit.
• Do not stop, pass or change lanes within a roundabout.
• If an emergency vehicle approaches, exit the roundabout immediately and then pull over.

 

 

Read more about roundabouts in Minnesota