Photo by Jim Muchlinski The Yellow Medicine County Board raised concerns over the railroad bridge above U.S. Highway 212 in Granite Falls.

GRANITE FALLS — Community leaders and state transportation officials are both looking ahead to the future of U.S. Highway 212 in Granite Falls.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation working toward left turn lane additions, which could built into the Minnesota Highway 23 project between Cottonwood and Granite Falls planned for the 2020 construction season. The 1931 Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, located one block from the Minnesota West Granite Falls campus, is regarded as more of a long range improvement goal.

A proposal for the turning lanes was presented to the Granite Falls City Council at its April 10 meeting. City Manager Crystal Johnson said MnDOT was given city approval to proceed with the turning lanes.

“We agree that it should be done,” Johnson said. “It can create traffic delays when someone wants to turn left, especially at busier times of the day. Turning lanes will allow for a better, more efficient traffic flow.”

Project plans call for left turning lanes that should assist motorists on a stretch of U.S. Highway 212 between the Minnesota River bridge (which is on the Yellow Medicine-Chippewa county line) eastward to Lincoln Street.

It’s not expected to impact traffic flow west of the four-way traffic light intersection where Minnesota Highway 23 turns south and U.S. Highway 212 continues west.

The railroad bridge is located about one mile west of the intersection. By that point, drivers will need to be channeled into a two-lane pattern because of how the 1931 bridge design is narrower than what’s recommended almost a century later.

“There’s enough distance from the railroad bridge and also a stoplight, so it shouldn’t be an issue at this point,” Johnson said. “It might be more of a concern in the future if other lane expansions are needed.”

The Yellow Medicine County Board raised the same question about the bridge during a recent county board meeting. The highway is a main artery for regional traffic between the Twin Cities and Interstate 29 in South Dakota. It is also the location of Granite Falls businesses and industries that benefit from highway access.

Commissioners emphasized a need for a well-coordinated planning process involving the city, county, MnDOT and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (since the railroad owns the bridge).

Commissioners said the narrow bridge width as well the short height clearance create a potential obstacle for long range economic development. They noted that it also poses a public safety concern if two vehicles approach the bridge at about the same time.

Jim Stoutland, MnDOT’s district-wide bridge engineer based in Marshall, said the railroad raised the height of the bridge in 2015 by six inches, from 15 feet to 15.6 feet.

“What they did helps,” Stoutland said. “It’s closer to modern standards. Ideally, we’d like a clearance of 16.6 feet or more.”

He said safety factors are mitigated by both state traffic restrictions for larger vehicles and by safety features alongside the bridge.

All vehicles that weight more than three tons, which includes almost everything that’s too tall to fit under the bridge, are required to have a designated route plan. The clearance issue is identified in the application process, and an alternate route is chosen for the larger vehicles.

For safety, guardrails are in place at the front of bridge posts. Space on the undersides of the bridge alongside the highway is kept free of weeds and debris.

“The idea of a bridge replacement has been talked about, but there are no plans or target dates for it,” Stoutland said. “It would have advantages. At this point, it’s a long- range possibility.”