MnDOT is planning several projects in Houston County. Stop by a public meeting to learn more about 3 projects:

• Highway 76 resurfacing project
• Highway 44 resurfacing project
• Highway 44 and 76 roundabout

Date: Tuesday, April 28
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Caledonia City Auditorium, 219 E Main St., Caledonia

Project staff will be available to answer questions and provide the latest update on the projects. People can stop by to get information and provide feedback.

To request a reasonable accommodation and/or an alternative format of web content, contact us at 1-833-400-8432, relay service 711, or email digital.accessibility.dot@state.mn.us.

If you need an ASL or foreign language interpreter, documents in an alternative format (such as braille, large print or in a different language), or CART services at no cost, please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720. Relay service: 711.
For information on disability rights and protections, contact the MnDOT ADA Title II Coordinator.

Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting and provided their input. Some key themes we heard from the community included:

• Interest in how the roundabout will improve safety
• Questions about how traffic will move during and after construction
• Requests for clear communication as the project moves forward

We will use the feedback to help guide the next steps in the design. We will announce future design reviews through this website and our project email updates in the future.

Join us to learn about the roundabout planned at the intersection of Highway 44 and Highway 76. Team members of the project team will be available to answer questions.

Participants will also have an opportunity to learn about a second project to resurface Highway 76. This project is also anticipated for 2028 and will resurface Highway 76 from Highway 44 to Highway 16 near Houston.

Date: Tue, Oct. 21
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: City of Caledonia Municipal Auditorium, 219 East Main Street, Caledonia

The open house materials and draft project layout are available to review, and you can provide project staff with your questions and comments through an interactive map.

You're also encouraged to view a video of the proposed roundabout. This will also be available at the public meeting.

To request a reasonable accommodation and/or an alternative format of web content, contact us at 1-833-400-8432, relay service 711, or email digital.accessibility.dot@state.mn.us.

If you need an ASL or foreign language interpreter, documents in an alternative format (such as braille, large print or in a different language), or CART services at no cost, please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720. Relay service: 711.
For information on disability rights and protections, contact the MnDOT ADA Title II Coordinator.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the information and provided their feedback. We captured hundreds of comments with various opinions. We appreciate the diverse viewpoints. The team is using what we heard from the community to develop the first design. We will announce future design reviews through this website and our project email updates in the future.

Community comfort using roundabouts

A majority of people indicated they were comfortable using roundabouts.

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Of those who said they feel uncomfortable using roundabouts, here are the main themes sited:

Inexperience and Misuse: There's a worry that other drivers do not yield or follow the rules correctly, causing potential collisions.

1. "I get angered by those that don't know how to navigate them and clog up the system."
2. "Because generally other people don’t know what they’re doing in a roundabout."
3. "I just don’t get them."

Large Vehicles and Farming Equipment: Some feel roundabouts are difficult to navigate for large vehicles like semis and farming equipment, siting concerns about safety and space.

1. "Difficult to navigate with large farm equipment. It takes a tractor longer to get going, you have more blind spots, and need more space to operate and most traffic does not understand this."
2. "Driving on them with a semi or truck and trailer needing to use more than one lane and others cut in."

What we heard

Top themes from commenters who viewed the roundabout favorably:

Safety and Accident Reduction:

• "Its just the right amount of traffic to make a roundabout work well. I think it would be a good answer to the problem of so many crashes there. The same thing happened at the intersection of 42 and 9 outside of Eyota. They put a roundabout there and it works great."
• "This intersection has a large expanse and good sight distance. It is also a location where speed increases as traffic drives North on HWY 44. It is hard to judge speed and very difficult to cross straight on east/west on Kingston/HWY 76 or make left hand turns. I feel the roundabout would help everyone be able to navigate through this intersection more safely and most specifically help ag equipment that travels slower get across the intersection."

Slowing Down Traffic

• "Would slow down traffic, especially as it is in a hilly location."
• "No cross traffic. Slower speeds. They make traffic flow."
• "It will slow down highway traffic, making it easier to cross at that intersection."

Traffic Flow and Efficiency

• "Roundabouts are easy to learn, slow drivers down, and prevent accidents."
• "Roundabouts, when used correctly, allow everyone to keep moving. No one has to sit and wait. No one has to attempt to turn left in front of speeding traffic."
• "Slow down traffic from both directions and help to keep flow moving when trying to cross 44 with large trailer."

Top themes of those who were undecided or viewed the roundabout unfavorably:

Calls for other alternatives:

• “Reducing the speed would be the best solution.”
• “Stop lights would be better especially for farm equipment & 18 wheelers.”
• “There is no need. Just slow down the speed limit and put lights by the Kwik Trip.”
• "My thoughts are a stop light at the Kwik Trip intersection will alleviate some of the congestion on the 76/44 intersection."

Concerns about a roundabout on a hill:

• "I do wonder how well this will work at the bottom of a hill. It’s usually a slippery area in winter."
• "Very concerned about the hills coming into the roundabout would be easily mis navigated and hard to stop if do not realize they need to slow down for roundabout."
• "Speed coming down the hill could cause issues."

Winter Conditions:

• "Vehicles coming down the hill on winter roads would not be safe even with well-maintained roads."
• "That's a bad place for a roundabout especially when it's slippery, you'll slide into it because three of the entrances are downhill."

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the information and provided their feedback. We captured hundreds of comments with various opinions. We appreciate the diverse viewpoints. The team is using what we heard from the community to develop the first design. We will announce future design reviews through this website and our project email updates in the future.

Join the project team to learn about the application process and why a roundabout was selected. We would like the community’s input on needs and features the design team should consider. Members of the project team will be available at two in-person events listed below. People can also participate at their convenience online:

Founder’s Day Car Show:

June 15, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Main St., Caledonia
Look for the MnDOT booth along the route. People may drop in and learn about the project.

Public meeting:

June 20, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Caledonia City Hall, 231 E. Main St., Caledonia
A short presentation will be provided at 4:45 p.m. People may visit and leave at their convenience.

Online:

Those who are unable to attend the above listed events can find the information on the project website and are encouraged to provide their feedback online. The survey closes July 7, 2024.

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Project information:

MnDOT and the City of Caledonia received funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as part of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). During the process, a roundabout was determined to provide the best safety improvements at Hwy 44 and Hwy 76.

MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all. If you need an ASL, foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720 or 1-800-657-3774 (Greater Minnesota); 711 or 1-800-627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).

Roundabouts may be unfamiliar at first, but navigating them will get easier with time.

Community feedback will help us develop specific features of this roundabout and design for community needs.

We encourage people to learn more about roundabouts and how to navigate them.

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a federal aid program. It provides cities, counties, state and tribal governments with funding opportunities. To get funding, proposed projects must reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

The application process is data-driven and strategic. Applications are evaluated on the history of serious crashes and the proposed solution. They must also have support from local and partnering agencies.

With the support of the City of Caledonia, MnDOT evaluated the intersection. The team gathered crash statistics and determined the likely causes. They then took a deep look at potential solutions, including a traffic signal, J-turn and other options. A roundabout was found to be the best solution to reduce severe crashes at this site.

They submitted their findings in the application to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The application was approved.

The funding is dedicated for a roundabout construction. If for some reason we determine to construct something other than a roundabout, the FHWA funding cannot be used.

From Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2023: 17 recorded crashes

Type of crashes

• 11 right-angle, also known as T-bone, crashes
  • Right-angle crashes are most likely to be life-altering or deadly
• 2 front to rear
• 2 sideswipes
• 2 single car crashes

Outcome of crashes

• 1 serious injury, also known as life-altering
• 4 minor injuries
• 4 possible injuries
• 8 property damage only