A bold move for safety: Grand Forks County takes a stand on highway intersection design.
In a unanimous decision, the Grand Forks County Commission has endorsed a two-lane roundabout for the U.S. Highway 2 and Airport Drive interchange. But here's where it gets controversial: the commission also discussed adding rumble strips to the roundabout, a measure that could spark debate among drivers and engineers alike.
The conversation was sparked by the Louthains, parents of a young victim of an accident at this very intersection. They proposed rumble strips as a way to address distracted driving, a common cause of accidents. Nicole Louthain presented data from the Texas Department of Transportation, highlighting the potential benefits of these strips in alerting drivers.
However, Michael Johnson, an engineer with the NDDOT, raised concerns. In North Dakota, rumble strips typically signal an upcoming stop sign, and adding them to a signalized intersection could confuse drivers, especially if they're expecting to stop but encounter a green light. He questioned whether introducing another element of confusion was the right approach.
And this is the part most people miss: County Engineer Nick West pointed out that adding rumble strips as bumps on top of the road could damage county snow plows. Instead, they would need to be dug into the road as grooves, a more costly and complex solution.
Despite these challenges, Commissioner Mark Rustad supported the idea, calling it an "obvious solution" to improve traffic safety. Commissioner Terry Bjerke also emphasized the roundabout's effectiveness in reducing speeding and accidents, citing data from North Dakota and other Midwestern states.
But the debate doesn't end there. The Grand Forks International Airport Authority Board of Commissioners is considering a different design, a diamond-shaped interchange, which would cost over $87 million more than the roundabout. Commissioner Bjerke suggested that if the airport authority chooses this more expensive option, they should contribute to the cost, either by paying a third of the share or by redirecting funds from the airport to the county's highway fund.
In other news, the commission approved various appointments, contracts, and budget adjustments. They also authorized Chair Kimberly Hagen to approve bills before the end of the year and granted the GrandSky business park state-appropriated funds to extend a contract with Thales, a provider of radar services for UAS systems. The commission also approved a professional services agreement with Matrix to conduct a compatible use study for the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
As the county moves forward with these decisions, the debate over the highway intersection design and the potential addition of rumble strips is sure to continue. What do you think? Is this an effective measure to improve safety, or could it cause more confusion? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
