Dakota County staff conducted a proactive evaluation of rural intersections with certain characteristics to consider safety improvements to reduce risk factors and maximize safety. The intersections evaluated included locations where a county road stops for another county road or state highway. The evaluation focused on identifying intersections with greater risk of serious crashes.
Study locations
The review included intersections involving 2-lane rural paved county roadways that are required to stop for a 2-lane paved county or state highway with a 45 mph or greater posted speed limit. The
Rural Intersection Assessment Map identifies each of the more than 50 locations studied.
Near-term recommendations
The assessment focused on identifying improvements at each study location based on characteristics which place the intersections at a greater risk of crashes. Based on the review, the following near-term actions are proposed:
- Clearing vegetation at locations with potential sight line restrictions (five locations).
- Add retro-reflective strips along the post of the stop sign at all County Road assessment intersections (35 locations).
- Add street lighting at all County Road assessment intersections which currently do not have street lighting (13 locations).
- Update “cross traffic does not stop” signs as applicable and install new signs at locations at risk for traffic not realizing the intersecting roadway is not required to stop (five locations).
- Install left side stop and stop ahead signs at County Road assessment intersections with average risk of motorists not stopping at the stop sign (14 locations).
- Implement grooved in wet-reflective stop lines at locations to improve visibility of the stop condition and sight lines to oncoming traffic at locations with greater than average safety risk (11 locations).
- Implement LED stop signs at County Road assessment intersections with greater risk of motorists not stopping (seven locations).
- For side roads approaching an intersection on a curve, the LED stop is not effective. Implementation will include additional stop ahead signing & marking (two locations).
Recommended Improvements List - County Road Intersections
Recommended Improvements List - MnDOT Highway Intersections
Long-term recommendations
For long-term recommendations, see pages 6-32 and 6-33 of the Dakota County 2040 Transportation Plan.