MnDOT tries to boost drivers' acceptance of J-Turn intersections

Despite their safety benefits, the intersections have been a tough sell with the public

Dec 12, 20220

MnDOT count

Trucks navigate the Reduced Conflict U-Turn Intersection at Hwy. 60 and County Road 9 in Heron Lake, Minn.

Residents in tiny Heron Lake, Minn., were resistant in 2018 when the Minnesota Department of Transportation proposed three intersections restricting the ability to cross Hwy. 60.

The intersections limit points where vehicles could collide by forcing drivers on side roads to turn right, go a short distance down the road, make a U-turn through the median, then loop back to the intersection to continue their trip.

"They are counterintuitive," said Anne Wolff, a MnDOT public engagement coordinator in southern Minnesota. "Something different is hard."

https://www.startribune.com/mndot-tries-to-boost-drivers-acceptance-of-j-turn-intersections/600234924/