Wadena County Commissioners: Is a roundabout cost-effective and is it necessary?
by Trinity Gruenberg
trinity@inhnews.com
The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on March 7.
Discussion on Roundabout at Harry Rich Drive
Discussed the 2025 expansion on Highway 10. MnDOT suggested installing a roundabout at the Harry Rich Drive and Highway 10 intersection as a means of speed control. County Engineer Darin Fellbaum explained MnDOT is proposing a cost of $250,000 and the MnDOT project manager wished to gauge the interest of the commissioners. MnDOT is also contemplating a roundabout for the new hospital as well.
The commissioners thought it strange for a roundabout to have only one road joining instead of a four-way intersection.
Fellbaum explained there would be an increase in traffic as the four-lane expansion project would potentially change semi routes for Mason Brothers and Russ Davis to avoid the Highway 10 traffic and use routes such as Harry Rich Drive.
Fellbaum said the roundabout would be safer and help avoid collisions. The traffic would have to slow at the roundabout to get through it. The MnDOT project manager could come and speak to the board. . .