It’s a good time to review spring, summer safe driving tips

This week seems like a good time to remind motorists to drive carefully during the spring and summer months. Two major highway construction projects started this week in Dodge County and are expected to continue until late summer. There also has been an increase in farm equipment moving on county and township roads in the area and those numbers will increase as we move into the spring planting season and continue right through the summer into the fall harvest.

Minnesota’s Department of Transportation (MnDOT) started work this week Highway 57 in Mantorville and on Highway 14 work is starting from Dodge Center to Byron. Among the work done will be construction of a J-turn at Highway 14 and County Road 9 and resurfacing the pavement between Dodge Center and Byron. There will also be some work on the eastbound and westbound Highway 14 bridges over Highway 57.

Both the Mantorville and Highway 14 projects are expected to continue through the summer months.

Highway 57 in downtown Mantorville is closed to all but local traffic as the roadway is reconstructed with through traffic being routed along County Roads 16, 9, and 12.

Drivers in the Mantorville construction zone need to be watchful of the construction equipment and workers. Those traveling on the county roads also need to be mindful that they are driving on county roads that they may be unfamiliar with and also that carry the second kind of traffic common this time of year, farm equipment.

The work on Highway 14 will include some detours during J-turn construction and there will also be lane closures during the resurfacing and there will also be detours for the bridge resurfacing.

The resurfacing is expected to be completed by the end of August and exact dates for the bridge improvements have not been announced as yet.

MnDOT anticipates that the J-turn construction will be completed by the end of June.

Motorists traveling on Minnesota roads this spring should watch for large farm equipment moving from farm to farm for planting season, according to the MnDOT.

Since 2020, there have been 391 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota, resulting in six deaths and 143 injuries. Inattentive driving and speed were the biggest contributing factors in those crashes.

Minnesota’s farmers need the highways and county roads to access their fields and motorists need to expect to encounter these slow-moving farm vehicles, especially on rural, two-lane roads.

Farm equipment is large and heavy, making it hard for operators to accelerate, slow down and stop. The equipment also makes wide turns and sometimes crosses over the center line. In addition, farm vehicles can create large blind spots, making it difficult for operators to see approaching vehicles.

MnDOT reminds motorists to:

Slow down and use caution when approaching farm equipment

Watch for debris dropped by farm equipment

Drive with headlights on at all times

Wait for a safe place to pass

Farm equipment operators should:

Use lights and flashers to make equipment more visible

Use slow-moving vehicle emblems on equipment traveling less than 30 mph

Consider using a follow vehicle when moving equipment, especially at night

Every spring and throughout the summer and fall these situations are common in Minnesota, including our local area.

We all know this but it is still a good idea to be reminded to be careful.