Long Lake Bypass Thoughts

Ever since construction began in 2003 to prepare for a bypass road that relocated US-12 in Long Lake, I followed the project on MNDOT's website with great interest. The Super Two Highway design would improve traffic flow by limiting the number of at-grade crossings and keep large trucks out of downtown Long Lake. The theory behind this design is good. The reality shows us several flaws in the theory.

Due to construction issues (namely engineering through a swamp), we had to wait until late 2009 to finally drive this new stretch of roadway. Oh the joy when it opened to all traffic. Then we drove it and discovered it wasn't quite the utopia we hoped for.

Theory: Traffic flow
Reality: Unexpected backups during rush hour

Why does eastbound traffic slow during the morning rush? At the east end of the bypass, traffic from Wayzata Blvd does not have to merge with US-12 traffic because they continue as separate lanes. However, the lane from the bypass becomes the HOV lane, and a new lane forms to the right after Wayzata Blvd joins the highway. The HOV lane should magically appear on the left. I would repaint the lines where Wayzata Blvd joins US-12 so that no one has to change lanes.

I oppose adding lanes to the bypass...except possibly going east. The Maple Plain stoplight is still a bottleneck for westbound traffic. Remember how three lanes merged into one before the bypass opened? MNDOT improved this problem by peeling off one lane at a time, exit only first at Co Rd 15, then at Wayzata Blvd. To create a second westbound lane without changing traffic flow in Maple Plain would simply cause a different jam. Eventually it has to reduce to one lane. For a comparison, look at MN-55 west of Hamel (near Arrowhead Drive).

Theory: Wider lanes are safer
Reality: Fatal crashes

On June 19, 2012, a fatal accident between a 1992 Honda Accord and a Mack semi truck (guess who won...) closed US-12 during the morning rush hour. Over the previous weekend, MNDOT shut down the bypass to mill rumble strips into the center lines. Obviously those aren't the correct solution. In this crash, the driver of the Accord lost control of his vehicle, hit a retaining wall, and careened into the path of the semi. It was not a case of driver stupidity. (Sometimes people are driving too fast. Other people think the left lane is a passing lane rather than oncoming traffic.) This type of accident should be preventable.

Accidents on the bypass (not just fatal crashes) prove another limitation. Large crashes require the entire 4-mile stretch to close, and everyone is detoured through Long Lake, which has a slower speed limit and several stoplights. Smaller accidents slow all traffic in the bypass, and since there are no road accesses, you are stuck in the "flow" of traffic unless you had the foresight to exit to Wayzata Blvd.

Theory: Long Lake reclaimed its downtown
Reality: Downtown hasn't changed much.

Many business and city leaders feared that routing traffic out of downtown would hurt businesses that rely on visibility from passing motorists. It's hard to tell if this has been the case. Sure, Burger King closed, but it was not very busy before the bypass. The economy may have had more of an effect of business life than changing the traffic pattern.

I sometimes choose to exit into Long Lake by choice. Primarily for predictability. From the Wayzata Blvd exit, I cannot tell how well the next 4 miles of US-12 is moving or where the congestion starts from the Maple Plain stoplight. The bypass may be faster or slower depending on traffic, but the slower speed limits and stoplights in Long Lake make my drive time more consistent. Since most vehicles stay on the bypass, finding less traffic in town reduces frustration of dealing with other drivers. In my opinion it's better to move steadily on a longer, slower route than fight the stop-/slow-and-go traffic on a major road.

How can the bypass be fixed? Some suggest that it should be a four-lane road. As mentioned already, I disagree with adding lanes. Also, I think there are right-of-way issues with the railroad tracks the restrict the space available for driving lanes and shoulders.

A common suggestion is a median to separate the lanes. While I have been opposed to that idea because it removes the option of passing a slow vehicle, I am starting to believe it is the best option for safety. First, any median would remove the illusion that the roadway has two lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. Second, it would prevent head-on crashes where a vehicle would cross the center line. The shoulders are large enough for disabled or emergency vehicles to stop while allowing traffic to continue past them in the normal driving lane. Crews have been installing cable medians on I-94 to prevent vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic. Perhaps they need to do the same for the Long Lake bypass.

Whatever the solution, the status quo has issues. Engineers at MNDOT must review the section of highway for available safety options. Signs and rumble strips are cheap, but they require driver awareness. If drivers were aware, they wouldn't need the extra warnings. It's possible that a correction to the safety specifications will also improve the issues with congestion. But we'll probably have to wait years to find out. For now I'll keep driving it and looking at alternative routes in the area.