Why has I-35 near Faribault turned into a death trap?

In one moment, a semitrailer truck, a pickup truck and a car were simultaneously heading north on Interstate 35 near Faribault, Minn. In a split second, the three vehicles collided. Two people died in the wreck.

The crash on Aug. 25 near milepost 53 was the third multi-vehicle wreck in the past few weeks in the area where drivers approach a work zone. But why?

"All the crashes are open investigations, so we are still determining the crash factors," said Sgt. Troy Christianson of the Minnesota State Patrol.

Others have taken to social media to offer reasons why they think the busy southern Minnesota freeway has suddenly turned into a death trap. They blame narrow lanes and drivers who don't heed warnings and are speeding and distracted as they are approaching a construction zone where travel lanes are reduced from two to one.

The recent incidents have some who live in the area trying to stay off I-35.

"I've started taking alternate routes to avoid that area," Faribault resident Gail Hurla Kreger wrote on Facebook

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is resurfacing the freeway between Rice County Road 48 and Hwy. 21. The agency warns drivers they will experience significant slowdowns or long backups during popular travel periods.

Drivers are first alerted to construction 10 miles before arriving at the merge point. Then starting six miles from the merge point and every mile after, MnDOT has signs with detectors that flash when traffic is slowed or stopped ahead.

In the final mile there are a series of signs about the work zone with instructions for drivers to use both lanes and zipper merge at a designated point. But traffic tends to line up in the right lane and back up, said MnDOT spokesman Mike Dougherty.

The recent violent wrecks that have left three dead and several others injured are of deep concern to MnDOT, Dougherty said.

"Anytime there is a crash, we are analyzing what occurred and if there's something we can do additionally or if there is something that can be adjusted in the work zone," he said. "That is why we are always interested in the findings of the crash investigation to see what State Patrol has determined."

Dougherty said the incidents are a good reminder of how dangerous work zones can be. He said drivers need to slow down, give driving their full attention, avoid unnecessary lane changes and keep a safe cushion of space for a following distance.

He also suggested adjusting travel schedules, if possible, to avoid peak traffic periods of Fridays and Sundays on summer weekends when many people are vacationing or heading to large events such as the State Fair.

The I-35 construction project is expected to last through early November.

I-94 closure

Eastbound Interstate 94 will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Sept. 11 between Interstate 394 and Interstate 694 as crews paint the the Plymouth Avenue bridge. Westbound will be closed Sept. 15-18.