TH 13/CSAH 5 Interchange
New!! Yellow Flashing Arrows
Flashing yellow arrows are coming to town. This spring, Dakota County will install flashing yellow left turn arrows on two traffic signals, in addition to the standard red, yellow and green arrows, at the intersections of Yankee Doodle Road and Blue Cross Road and Yankee Doodle Road and Coachman Road in Eagan. The flashing yellow arrows are part of an effort to increase traffic flow and maintain safety.
The flashing yellow arrows will move more vehicles through an intersection with less delay by allowing drivers to turn left when there is a gap in the oncoming traffic without having to wait for the green arrow. Drivers making left hand turns during a flashing yellow arrow must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians and turn with caution. The flashing yellow arrow is also expected to improve intersection safety by reducing the number of collisions.
Fall of 2006, the Minnesota Department of Transportation conducted a study of the flashing yellow arrow at the intersection of Highway 110 and Highway 149 in Mendota Heights with positive results. Dakota County will be monitoring the effectiveness of the flashing yellow arrows at the two intersections by monitoring traffic congestion levels and collision rates over the next few years.
Dakota County 2030 Transportation Plan
Dakota County has started a full update of its existing Transportation Plan that was adopted in July, 2004. The Transportation Plan was recently modified as a section of the County’s update of its Comprehensive Plan (DC 2030: Planning for the Future). The modified Transportation Plan contains “new directions” or overarching goals that are consistent with DC 2030’s guiding principles. However, more detailed work still needs to be done. County staff will be updating the operational goals, policies, and strategies with input from local communities and county citizens in 2009.
The existing Transportation Plan calls for an update every five years. This is so current conditions and funding needs can be addressed and applied to the transportation projects within the County’s five-year Capital Improvement Program. An update also allows the County to properly analyze the plan’s impact on transportation system performance, reexamine the county’s transportation needs, and to reevaluate strategies, policies, and measures.
County staff will be scheduling meetings with stakeholders and hosting the several open houses regarding the plan throughout the year. Please check the County’s website periodically for information and updates regarding the plan.