Design Alternative 1 chosen for Hwy 14 and Co. Rd. 9 intersection

We are moving forward with the design of Alternative 1 for the Hwy 14 and Co. Rd. 9 intersection.

Two J-turn designs were evaluated. Alternative 1 allows drivers to turn left from Hwy 14 directly onto Co. Rd. 9. Alternative 2 requires drivers turning left off of the highway to use the median U-turn. We found that a majority of community members preferred Alternative 1 over Alternative 2.

With Alternative 1, drivers approaching Hwy 14 from Co. Rd. 9 will not be able to turn left at the intersection where they do today. Instead, drivers will turn right into a wide left turn lane and then make a U-turn at a designated median opening. This means that drivers from Co. Rd. 9 will only have to look in one direction of traffic on Hwy 14 at a time.

The design also features a wider shoulder and U-turn space. This will help large vehicles and agricultural equipment maneuver through the J-turn. Drivers will benefit by reduced travel time for vehicles crossing the highway. Separate left turn lanes will keep Hwy 14 traffic separate from traffic entering from Co. Rd. 9.

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Hwy 14 and 260th Ave. intersection

After initial community feedback, we decided to not close the median at the Hwy 14 and 260th Ave. Future plans for the intersection will be discussed in future projects.

Future public meeting

A third public meeting will be held in 2023. The goal will be to let people know what they can expect from construction in 2024. We will also have information on how to navigate a J-turn.

Thank you for your input over the last year. We began reaching out to the community in May 2022. This included in-person and virtual public meetings, online and paper surveys, newspaper and social media advertisements, as well as letters, postcards and emails to stakeholders. The feedback that we received has been incredibly helpful in determining the next steps of the project.

Categories: #jturn, #rci, #design