Hwy 371 - Nisswa to Baxter

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We are studying Hwy 371 between View full-size mapBaxter and Nisswa in Crow Wing County. This roadway is critical for both the local community and the greater region. The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of the needs, identify potential future improvements, and determine how and when these improvements should be implemented. The study will include an analysis of traffic, safety, land use, demographics and development.

Study goals

  • Understand Hwy 371 needs
  • Identify future improvements
  • Develop recommendations for Hwy 371
  • Inform upcoming pavement and safety improvements

Your input helps us

  • Define the issues
  • Establish project goals
  • Develop alternative design concepts
  • Determine a vision for Hwy 371

Phase one engagement

Click here to read a summary of engagement from August to November of 2023

Safety was identified as a top concern in the first phase of the study. Several roads that cross or have access onto Hwy 371 have a higher-than-average crash rate. As we take safety and continued growth of the area into consideration, we also want to maintain traffic flow for both local traffic and traffic traveling though the area. As a result, traffic engineers and transportation planners have developed potential improvements in several places with the highest and most severe crashes. Intersection design alternatives that are under consideration to reduce crashes and keep traffic flowing include:


Right in, Right out only access (RIRO): A three-way road intersection where drivers are allowed to make right turns off a main road onto a side road or right turn from a side road onto a main road. Drivers are not allowed to cross the median.

Median U-turns: Also called J-turns , Median U-turns are a way for drivers to cross busy highways by focusing on crossing one direction of traffic at a time.

Instead of taking a left turn or crossing a highway from a side street, the driver turns right onto the highway and merges left to get into the left-turn. The driver watches for a break in traffic and makes a U-turn at the designated median opening.

The new J-turns installed by Brainerd International Raceway have resulted in a 50 percent reduction in crashes since they were completed in November 2022. Learn more about J-turns and how they work: J-turns - MnDOT (state.mn.us)


J-Turn with a direct left: This is another form of a J-Turn with an intersection design that restricts the types of turns that can be made. There is a median opening with curbs that guides drivers on a main road to make a left turn off the highway and onto side streets. Drivers that want to make a left from a side street onto the highway, must first turn right onto the main road and merge over to the left most lane. A little farther down, drivers make a U-turn at a designated opening in the median to head in the desired direction, similar to a Median U-Turn.



Continuous Green T Intersection (CGT): A type of intersection where there is a main road with a side street on only one side. There is an opening in the median that allows drivers to decelerate and cross the highway and turn onto the side street or for people on the side street to turn left onto the highway and accelerate and merge with traffic. Green T Intersections may be signalized on unsignalized depending on average traffic volumes.

We are studying Hwy 371 between View full-size mapBaxter and Nisswa in Crow Wing County. This roadway is critical for both the local community and the greater region. The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of the needs, identify potential future improvements, and determine how and when these improvements should be implemented. The study will include an analysis of traffic, safety, land use, demographics and development.

Study goals

  • Understand Hwy 371 needs
  • Identify future improvements
  • Develop recommendations for Hwy 371
  • Inform upcoming pavement and safety improvements

Your input helps us

  • Define the issues
  • Establish project goals
  • Develop alternative design concepts
  • Determine a vision for Hwy 371

Phase one engagement

Click here to read a summary of engagement from August to November of 2023

Safety was identified as a top concern in the first phase of the study. Several roads that cross or have access onto Hwy 371 have a higher-than-average crash rate. As we take safety and continued growth of the area into consideration, we also want to maintain traffic flow for both local traffic and traffic traveling though the area. As a result, traffic engineers and transportation planners have developed potential improvements in several places with the highest and most severe crashes. Intersection design alternatives that are under consideration to reduce crashes and keep traffic flowing include:


Right in, Right out only access (RIRO): A three-way road intersection where drivers are allowed to make right turns off a main road onto a side road or right turn from a side road onto a main road. Drivers are not allowed to cross the median.

Median U-turns: Also called J-turns , Median U-turns are a way for drivers to cross busy highways by focusing on crossing one direction of traffic at a time.

Instead of taking a left turn or crossing a highway from a side street, the driver turns right onto the highway and merges left to get into the left-turn. The driver watches for a break in traffic and makes a U-turn at the designated median opening.

The new J-turns installed by Brainerd International Raceway have resulted in a 50 percent reduction in crashes since they were completed in November 2022. Learn more about J-turns and how they work: J-turns - MnDOT (state.mn.us)


J-Turn with a direct left: This is another form of a J-Turn with an intersection design that restricts the types of turns that can be made. There is a median opening with curbs that guides drivers on a main road to make a left turn off the highway and onto side streets. Drivers that want to make a left from a side street onto the highway, must first turn right onto the main road and merge over to the left most lane. A little farther down, drivers make a U-turn at a designated opening in the median to head in the desired direction, similar to a Median U-Turn.



Continuous Green T Intersection (CGT): A type of intersection where there is a main road with a side street on only one side. There is an opening in the median that allows drivers to decelerate and cross the highway and turn onto the side street or for people on the side street to turn left onto the highway and accelerate and merge with traffic. Green T Intersections may be signalized on unsignalized depending on average traffic volumes.

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Tell us about your experiences using Hwy 371

4 months

Many people use or cross Hwy 371 each day. Share your thoughts about specific locations from Baxter to Nisswa. What's working? What isn't working?

Use the comment map to pinpoint a place you had an experience (good or bad), have an idea or think there is something we should know about. 

CLOSED: This map consultation has concluded.
Page last updated: 10 Sep 2024, 12:36 PM