Western Hennepin County leaders to MnDOT: Fix the 'Corridor of Death'

There hasn't been a fatal crash on Hwy. 12 in western Hennepin County in nearly four years, but leaders of Maple Plain, Independence, Delano and other nearby cities say they may be living on borrowed time.

They point to a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) report outlining results of a study that found "fatal crashes are expected to continue if no changes are made" to the 5-mile segment between County Road 90 in Independence and County Line Road in Delano.

"It's absolutely disheartening," Maple Plain Mayor Julie Maas-Kusske said of the 90-page report completed last year but released only this fall after the Delano Herald Journal filed a records request. The report was subsequently obtained by the Star Tribune.

"We have all heard the saying, 'What's predictable is preventable.' Listen to the study and do our part to prevent further loss of life and crashes on this busy stretch of road, and fix it properly," the mayor said.

There have been seven fatal crashes within the study area since 2009, including four head-on wrecks and one rear-end collision. The crashes along with a slew of others over the years on Hwy. 12 from Wayzata all the way through Wright County led to the road being dubbed the "Corridor of Death" by the Highway 12 Safety Coalition.

Maas-Kusske belongs to the coalition of city leaders and law enforcement in communities along Hwy. 12 that has been meeting since 2014 to push for upgrades to the unforgiving two-lane road, largely untouched since it was built in the 1930s.

The coalition succeeded in getting MnDOT to build a concrete median barrier to separate oncoming traffic between Wayzata and Orono. Plastic lane delineators and rumble strips were installed to the west of Baker Park Road. Last year, a new overpass and roundabout opened at the dangerous County Road 92 intersection.

But other than patchwork fixes, nothing has been done to improve Hwy. 12 west of County Road 92 in more than 90 years, said Phil Kern, a coalition member who also is Delano's city administrator.

"We are advocating for MnDOT to address this corridor," Kern said. "When they are looking at using federal and state funds for highway improvement, make this a priority. The corridor is safety and mobility deficient."

The MnDOT report identified four ways to improve the highway, which carries between 14,300 and 19,100 vehicles a day. The concepts include keeping Hwy. 12 a two-lane road, but placing a median barrier to separate traffic between County Line Road and Lake Haughey Road with depressed center median east to County Road 92.

Two concepts calling for a third lane would also feature a median barrier from County Line Road to just west of Lake Haughey Road and a depressed median east of it. Both concepts would feature two lanes running in one direction and one lane in the opposite direction.

A four-lane concept with a depressed median would have two lanes running in each direction.

"I believe the coalition and residents want to see a four-lane highway," Maas-Kusske said.

The report identified safety as the most significant problem and should be the focus of any improvements, MnDOT said in a statement.

MnDOT is looking to carry out a paving project in the study area in 2028 and advance plans for a roundabout at County Line Road. Beyond that, the next action won't come until spring when the agency will begin the selection process for the two-lane, three-lane or four-lane alternatives.

The agency said it would need to conduct an in-depth environmental investigation on impacts of each alternative. And project funding would have to be secured, meaning any improvements would be many years away.

"MnDOT is examining various grant opportunities that may fit for future funding, but has not identified funding for this major improvement," the agency said.

Maas-Kusske said she is grateful for the improvements that have been made. But, she said, "the work is not done, and we cannot quit advocating. The rest of the corridor still has issues with sight lines, safety zones, ditch slopes and overall capacity."