MnDOT District 8 awarded highway safety improvement funding

WILLMAR, Minn. – MnDOT District 8, Southwest Minnesota, has been awarded $1,090,000 from the Highway Safety Improvement Program for three safety improvement projects within the district. HSIP is a federal-aid funding program designed to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roads. The object of the program is to identify, implement and evaluate cost effective construction safety projects.

“HSIP funding makes it possible to build these important safety projects,” said Susann Karnowski, assistant district engineer-program delivery for District 8. “We’re getting the design processes underway and look forward to seeing these projects working to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities in their communities within the next few years.”

In District 8, the three projects which received HSIP awards include the following:

Highway 67 between Wood Lake and Echo: lighting will be installed at Highway 67 and Yellow Medicine County Road 6, and at Highway 67 and Yellow Medicine County Road 21. Highway 67 has been rerouted between Granite Falls and Echo due to a large slope failure. The rerouted roadway uses Highway 23, Highway 274 (old designation), and Yellow Medicine County Road 2 (old designation). As a result, two new state highway to state highway intersections were created (as Highway 67 turns east, and then south). Lighting the two intersections will meet standard practice and enhance safety. The project received $90,000 in HSIP funding and is scheduled for implementation in 2025. For additional information, contact Mofeed Issa at 320-214-6398.
Highway 23 and Highway 7 south of Clara City: the intersection will be converted to an all-way stop. In 2021, MnDOT, Clara City, Chippewa County, and the Highway 23 Coalition, partnered to conduct a safety study evaluating different intersection alternatives to improve safety and traffic flow. The recommendation of the study was to convert the intersection to an all-way stop. The project received $440,000 in HSIP funding and is scheduled for implementation in 2026. For additional information visit the Highway 23 and Highway 7 safety study webpage, or contact Jacob Mages at 320-212-9154.
Highway 23 and Highway 67 (formerly Highway 274) south of Granite Falls: Highway 67 as it approaches Highway 23 will be realigned to eliminate a skew. The realignment will enhance sight lines, particularly for drivers with reduced head and neck mobility. The project received $560,000 in HSIP funding and is scheduled for construction in 2027. For additional information, contact David Nilan at 612.214.5975.

Learn more about HSIP at the Highway Safety Improvement Program website.

Stay connected

Learn more about District 8 studies and projects at mndot.gov/d8/projects.

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