Residents who live near a busy intersection in Credit River Township where there have been two fatal crashes in just over a year have long wanted Scott County officials to make it safer.
They might finally get their wish.
County traffic engineer Tony Winiecki said the highway department will present a recommendation for intersection traffic control at 185th Street and Natchez Avenue at the County Board meeting on Tuesday.
Winiecki declined to say what the recommendation will be, but one plan still on the table is a reduced conflict intersection, or RCI. That treatment would include a median that would prevent northbound and southbound drivers on Natchez from crossing through the intersection. Motorists would have to make a right turn onto 185th, cut over a lane about a quarter-mile down the road, then make a U-turn. Once back at Natchez, drivers could turn right or go straight on 185th.
Because drivers can't proceed directly across the main road, the configuration reduces the possibility of right-angled or broadside crashes, which are most likely to be deadly or result in serious injuries, said MnDOT traffic engineer Derek Leuer. Studies show a 70% reduction in fatalities and a 42% drop in crashes resulting in injuries at RCIs.
The idea for the design at 185th and Natchez came up last fall, but it met resistance from residents.
Chelon Rasmussen, who lives nearby, wants a roundabout.
"Anytime I go to that intersection it's nerve-racking," she said. "It's getting scarier and scarier. "