Improving travel through Blooming Prairie

US Highway 218 Scoping Study

US Highway 218, the primary north/south route through Blooming Prairie, is slated for full pavement reconstruction in 2023. To prepare for the project, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) asked our transportation planners and engineers to study the corridor and identify a tentatively preferred concept.

Our team considered traffic counts, crash history, turn lane warrants, access management, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities to understand conditions, identify opportunities, and develop the preferred concept. Steering committee members narrowed down ten initial concepts to three for further analysis. At present, MnDOT anticipates proceeding with the design of a three-lane corridor including a center turn lane, right turn lanes, median separation at key intersections, curb line bump outs, sidewalk, pedestrian flashers and a multi-use trail.

Stakeholder engagement consisted of study review committee meetings, a project website with interactive geographic information system (GIS) mapping, informational mailings with comment cards to residents, workshops, focus group meetings, and a community open house.