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MnDOT is looking into conditions along Highway 169 in Sherburne County as part of a road safety audit (RSA). The audit will cover Hwy 169 from the County Road 33 Interchange (Elk River) to County Road 29 interchange (Princeton). A road safety audit studies planned or existing roadways and looks at crash history, traffic data, prior plans and recommendations, and existing conditions. An important part of the audit is public input to help identify potential safety improvements. MnDOT has put together a specialized team of independent, multidisciplinary experts to review the safety and operations of Highway 169.

Goal

The primary goal of the Highway 169 audit is to identify traffic safety issues and propose strategies to improve safety of all road users.

Summary of work

During the Highway 169 audit, the interdisciplinary team:

• Assessed current conditions: Documented existing traffic and roadway conditions.
• Analyzed crash data: Identifed areas of safety concern through traffic crash data analysis.
• Gathered public input: Collected transportation experiences and safety concerns from the community.
• Conducted field reviews: Identified safety risks in the area through field reviews.
• Developed solutions: Created and evaluate improvement ideas based on all information gathered.
• Proposed improvements: Suggested short-, medium-, and long-term safety enhancements.
• Prepared a report: Compiled a comprehensive report to guide future projects along Highway 169.

Survey results

Thank you to everyone who took the online survey earlier this year. Your input helped us better understand the issues and identify safety concerns at each intersection. Public feedback is an important part of shaping design ideas.

The Highway 169 road safety audit in Sherburne County is now complete. The final report includes key findings and recommended safety improvements along the corridor—from the County Road 33 Interchange in Elk River to the County Road 29 Interchange in Princeton.

• Final report (PDF)

If you would like a version of the report that includes the appendix, please contact the project manager.

Thank you to everyone who contributed and supported this important safety effort.

Next steps

MnDOT has analyzed the results of the safety audit and the feedback from the public. We will continue to evaluate overall potential improvements to this section of Hwy 169 and are considering both short-term and long-term improvements.

The main issues that were identified in the Road Safety Audit include:

• Traffic analysis helped pinpoint overall safety issues, including speed
• Limited number of gaps in traffic
• Sightlines for hills and intersections
• Crashes: 12 fatal crashes and 18 serious-injury crashes over the past 9 years

Public Feedback Highlights:

• Public input was analyzed to understand local safety concerns and user experiences
• Recurring themes included perceived issues with signage, roadway conditions and poor visibility due to lighting
• Concerns were also expressed about the lack of acceleration and turn lanes, as well as the need for guardrails along curves
• Public feedback was taken into consideration to prioritize needs and come up with recommendations for safety improvements

Short-term improvements that will be considered (within the next 1-2 years) include:

• High-tension project to install cable barrier - the need for this project was identified before the safety audit
• Enforce posted speed limits by increasing law enforcement – MnDOT is partnering with Sherburne County and corresponding agencies to reduce excessive speeding through this corridor
• Curve signing for better visibility
• Improve intersection lighting
• Tree clearing at high-risk locations

Mid to long-term improvements will be considered and determined during the next phase of the study process. (A corridor study is set to begin in 2026. The study will include public engagement to receive further input from the community.)

• Close down crossover sections along the highway that pose risks
• Improve access management
• Modifications that improve sight distances
• Median improvements, install additional cable median barriers
• Review of intersection needs, changes may include J-turn implementation to improve safety
• Extend turn and acceleration lanes
• Apply High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST): Crash data shows numerous crashes on horizontal curves during winter.
• Consider the feasibility of installing snow fences
• Continued crash and traffic monitoring

*Recommended improvements will be added to future projects as funding is made available.