ST PAUL, Minn. — If the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 52 at the Lafayette Bridge have you feeling twisty-turny, you're not alone.
For some reason, the center lane is always backed up and the three exit choices you have to make can get scary at times.
The bridge has been open to the public since 2016 after its $130.4 million redo work from 2011 to 2015.
It was identified to be a fracture critical bridge, just like Interstate 35W that collapsed in 2007.
But the new bridge ended up being over troubled waters, with crash numbers that increased nearly four times after its reopening.
"In 2009 and 2010, there were respectively, 31 and 39 crashes in each of those years, and since the bridge reopened, the crash numbers have been hovering between 115 and 148," the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (MnDOT) Melissa Barnes said. "So those numbers have made a decent jump from each year and that's something we're concerned about."
In terms of what may be contributing to the increase, Barnes said there were several things.
"There is a queue that tends to form in the center lane of the northbound Lafayette Bridge," she said. "That queue is usually stopped and there's pretty fast traffic moving on either side of it, and folks trying to get in and out of that stopped queue. So whenever you have speed differentials — some traffic going really slow and some going really fast — that can lead to crashes."
Barnes added that they're also trying better signage as well.
"We are putting in what we call dynamic message signs. They're electronic message boards that go above the highway and they'll let people know which lane to be in a lot earlier," she said.
That's so drivers can know: The left exit is I-94 east toward Wisconsin, the middle is I-94 west toward Minneapolis, and the right is 7th Street to local in St. Paul.
That would also potentially reduce drivers who make a last-minute change, crossing the double white lines.
"We do encourage folks to not cross the double white lines. It's not legal to do that," Barnes said. "It's safer to get in your lane and wait it out."
And speaking of waiting, all these improvements, well, it's going to take some time. Barnes said the signs may go up this winter or next spring, depending on weather conditions.
In terms of a more permanent solution?
"Would we add a lane? Eliminate some of the weaving? Things like that," Barnes floated. She said she didn't know what the timeline looked like for that project. "We're working on getting consulting onboard through that alternative analysis, but no real clue on timeline right now. That timeline is undefined because one, we don't have funding, and two, we need to know what it costs before we identify funding."