Contacts
- Pam Wood
320-214-6421
Location
Minnesota Department of
Transportation
District 8
2505 Transportation Road
Willmar, MN 56201
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Electronic signs at Hwy 23/Lyon County Road 7 to turn off Oct. 14
WILLMAR, Minn. – Motorists will notice the electronic signs at the Hwy 23 and Lyon County Road 7 intersection near Marshall will turn off beginning Friday, Oct. 14.
The electronic signs will remain off for three months and then reactivate until summer 2012.
This change is part of a study evaluating effectiveness of Rural Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems. The signs will turn off to determine their effectiveness in helping drivers recognize and properly respond to unsafe gap conditions in cross traffic.
The RICAS system uses sensors on the mainline Hwy to determine the position, speed and lane of travel for vehicles approaching the intersection. It does not tell a driver when to cross traffic; rather, it is designed to help a driver recognize unsafe gaps and better judge when to cross traffic.
The signs are part of a long-term research project to improve safety at rural “thru-stop” intersections. A thru-stop intersection is where traffic on one roadway is required to stop at an intersection, while traffic on the other roadway can travel through the intersection without stopping.
The Hwy 23 and Lyon County Road 7 intersection was selected because it is on a four lane roadway with a higher than expected crash rate. This system is one of three currently being evaluated in Minnesota.
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies is conducting the research, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
For statewide travel information, visit www.511mn.org, call 5-1-1 or log on to www.mndot.gov.
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