Drivers pulling over on the freeway to watch fireworks? Not legal or safe, State Patrol says

Drive column reader Nate was moving right along on Interstate 35W as he and his wife headed home after catching a movie in Roseville a week ago Saturday night, until they hit an instant traffic jam in downtown Minneapolis.

“We saw everything snarl up and thought, ‘What’s going on?’ ” he told the Drive. “It slowed up so fast. We thought maybe there was an accident.”

But as Nate approached the bridge spanning the Mississippi River, he discovered the reason everything had come to an abrupt stop: Scores of motorists were standing on the shoulders on both side of the bridge, kids at their side, to watch and film the Aquatennial fireworks over downtown.

“This seemed like a good place high up to get a good view,” surmised Nate, who didn’t want his last name used but goes by Rockguy101 on the social media platform Reddit.

Then he had a second thought: “Somebody is going to get killed. It only takes one person to hit a car and somebody could get pinned or thrown into the river. It’s stupid.”

That prospect didn’t deter one couple who seemingly wanted an unobstructed vantage point to catch the pyrotechnics, and posted a video on social media.

“It isn’t July without Aquatennial fireworks,” the couple wrote on Facebook. “This year we did the unthinkable and stopped on the 35W bridge to watch them. Everyone was pulled over to the shoulder, I was so scared lol! The view was absolutely breathtaking and incredible ... better than when we’ve sat down on/by the Stone Arch bridge.”

While no one was cited and there were no traffic crashes or injuries, Lt. Michael Lee of the State Patrol said those who stopped on the freeway shoulder put themselves and other drivers at risk — not to mention that they were also breaking the law.

The Minnesota Driver’s Manual states that it’s illegal to stop or park on the side of a freeway except in the event of an emergency. Running out of gas is not considered an emergency.

Lee, who used to patrol the area, said shoulders need to be left available for drivers who really need a place to pull off and are not to be used by motorists for frivolous purposes.

“We completely know viewing fireworks is a fun activity, but we want it to be done safely,” Lee said. “If a vehicle crashes, it could be catastrophic. Plan ahead, get there early and don’t break the law.”

Lee said that unauthorized stopping on freeways is a common problem. Last week’s incident is a good reminder that the driving culture in that regard needs to change.

“We already have enough hazards on the roads,” Lee said, and don’t need more caused by motorists engaging in unsafe and illegal behavior. “We want to promote traffic safety.”

In other words, Lee said, drivers need to follow the speed limit. They should wear their seat belts. They shouldn’t be drinking. And they should pay attention to the road.