New Hwy 12 Bypass Long Lake (Minneapolis, Orono: construction, safer, design)

[JB1986]

Hi everyone, I'm just writing to get your opinion on the new Hwy 12 that has been open for almost a year now through Long Lake. A few months ago I started a new job in Minneapolis and have been using Hwy 12 accessing it from County Road 6. What I just cant understand is how it can slow down to 15mph - 20mph and also be stop and go. This happens in the morning and also in the evening. There are no stop lights and no on or off ramps on that stretch of Hwy 12. The only thing I can think that could possibly cause the slow down is that the MNdot did not design the road correctly to handle that much traffic at once. Or it just could be having to drive into the morning sun. My main reason for writing is just to see what other people think of the Hwy 12 Bypass and what they think could cause the slow down. Thanks for the help.

Joe

[mmhl]

My husband takes it daily during rush hour & has the exact complaints you do. I grew up in Orono, so I can tell you that the plan for that bypass was 25 years in the making practically- it was outdated before it went in. He does think it's faster than the original path through Long Lake though. Nobody can figure out why people slow down!

However, during off-peak hours I can't say enough good things about it! It has cut 10 minutes off our drive to the East.

[Wellstone]

that was the most poorly conceived of idea i've ever seen. they go through all this effort of new overpasses and such and put in a 2 lane road. idiots.

[Camden Northsider]

I'm confused why all of the time and resources were put into Hwy 12 to make it only a 2 lane as well (I actually had been under the mistaken impression that it was going to be a 4 lane, and even recommended to some people here to check out some areas along Hwy 12 because the commute time would be decreasing when it opened). Although the new Hwy 12 is a straighter shot, and a lot safer in terms of trying to pass, etc., and I'm generally not the type to advocate for construction of massive roads through environmentally sensitive areas to further spur mass suburban developments, I was very much confused to drive this the first time and find that it was (a) not only still a 2 lane, but (b) didn't really even have any new passing lanes as well.

[golfgal]

There was an article, maybe in the Trib, about how one car going slightly below the speed limit in a single lane slows down traffic so just a 1/2 mile down the road the cars are going about 5 mph, basically because every car thereafter has to drive a little bit slower and the domino effect happens.

[mmhl]

Why the road is two lanes... the state only funded a two lane road. Orono actually tried to raise money & fund an additional two lanes themselves, but the state threatened to pull all funding if Orono altered the plans. How is that for politics???

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by Wellstone

that was the most poorly conceived of idea i've ever seen. they go through all this effort of new overpasses and such and put in a 2 lane road. idiots.

Oh they do this crap all the time. They just rebuilt a new bridge carrying Larpenteur/Hennepin over Hwy 280. New bridges are expensive and aren't built very often. And it wasn't just the bridge -- the entire interchange was rebuilt.

But guess what? They built it only big enough to span the same number of lanes as the old one: four lanes total (two each direction). All the trouble, all the time, all the money, all to leave the highway with the same capacity as before.

What can you say to that? It's so frustrating that it leaves me speechless. Absolutely no vision or foresight for the future. None.