Hwy 7

Recommendations

MnDOT recently completed a study of Hwy 7 between Hwy 100 in St. Louis Park and Carver Co. Rd. 33 in Hollywood Township to identify potential needed safety improvements. The study evaluated intersections and other safety aspects on this section of Hwy. The report identifies recommendations developed after a review of crash data along the corridor, its existing condition and comments received from the public.

The recommendations that emerged are categorized as short-term (less than 5 years); Medium-term (5 to 10 years); and Long-term (more than 10 years). The area studied is 32 miles along and contains three segments of the Hwy running through rural, suburban and urban communities that expressed a number of safety improvement ideas.

Hwy 7 from Hollywood Township to Minnetrista

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study from west of Co. Rd. 33 to Co. Rd. 44 to determine the appropriate roadway design. Install advanced street name signs prior to all intersections.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

1. Yale Ave. to Co. Rd. 33

• Short-term: Add reflective devices at curves and enhance signage.
• Medium-term: Install a rumble strip down the center of Hwy 7.
• Long-term: Evaluate closing access to Hwy 7 at 53rd St. to improve operations and safety.

2. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. 33

• Short-term: Conduct an intersection study to determine appropriate design.
• Medium-term: Install right-turn lanes.
• Long-term: Construct improvements identified in the future intersection study.

3. Hwy 7 and Vega Ave.

• Short-term: Install street name signs prior to intersection.
• Medium-term: Install lighting.

4. Hwy 7 and Tacoma Ave.

• Short-term: Install street name signs prior to intersection.
• Medium-term: Install lighting.
• Long-term: Repair roadway surfaces of side streets.

5. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. 123

• Short-term: Install additional signage.
• Medium-term: Install additional lighting.
• Long-term: Restrict turning movements or move the intersection west to improve visibility.

6. Hwy 25 to Co. Rd. 10

• Medium-term: Install a rumble strip in the center of Hwy 7. Conduct a corridor study to identify specific design improvements.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

7. Co. Rd. 10 to Buck Lake Rd.

• Short-term: Review corridor to determine potential turn lane locations.
• Medium-term: Clear trees within right of way.
• Long-term: Restrict access at select locations and add turn lanes.

8. Hwy 7 and Hunters Trail/Wildwood Ave.

• Medium-term: Restrict intersection access and provide a safe pedestrian crossing.
• Long-term: Implement strategies to reduce vehicle speeds and provide a gateway into St. Bonifacius, such as a roundabout.

9. Co. Rd. 92/Main St. to Kings Point Rd./Victoria Dr.

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study between Wildwood Ave. and Kings Point Rd./Victoria Dr. to determine appropriate design. Improvements could include a 3-lane roadway, access control changes, and other strategies to give St. Bonifacius a more urban feel.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

10. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. 92/Main St.

• Short-term: Increase red light enforcement in this location.
• Medium-term: Make signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location and monitor to determine potential intersection control changes. Continue the trail on the north side of Hwy 7.
• Long-term: Construct a raised concrete median on Hwy 7 near the intersection, reconstruct this intersection if justified by review (i.e., roundabout), and implement other strategies to give this location a more urban feel.

11. Hwy 7 and Oak Rd.

• Medium-term: Replace the by-pass lane with a left-turn lane.
• Long-term: Restrict access or potentially remove the intersection.

12. Kings Point Rd./Victoria Dr. to County Border (North of Lake Zumbra)

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study to determine if a center median or buffer is required and locations where the shoulder should be balanced to increase safety.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

Hwy 7 from Minnetrista to Minnetonka

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study to determine appropriate roadway design, review the need for additional lighting, and evaluate potential pedestrian improvements/connections (including the area surrounding Minnetonka High School). Install street name signs prior to all intersections and identify signals that need a battery back-up.
• Medium-term: Install a battery backup at signals where this is needed and construct signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

13. Merrywood Ln.

• Short-term: Remove vegetation and grade the intersection to improve visibility.

14. County Border (North of Lake Zumbra) to Co. Rd. 13/Smithtown Rd.

• Short-term: Fix the pavement markings in the westbound acceleration lane area at Waterford Ln. Additional study is needed to determine the appropriate design and pedestrian improvements and connections.
• Medium-term: Implement traffic signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location. Reconstruct the road at Waterford Ln. to accommodate the westbound acceleration lane.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study as well as the recommended pedestrian improvements and connections.

15. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. 13/Smithtown Rd.

• Long-term: Construct Long-term intersection improvements such as the roundabout concepts within the Arboretum Area Transportation Plan.

16. Hwy 7 and Minnewashta Parkway/Church Rd.

• Short-term: Review visual sight lines for side street traffic.
• Medium-term: Improve pedestrian crossing on the south side of the intersection and construct pedestrian crossing at Hwy 7 as part of the planned traffic signal.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended during the corridor study which includes potential roundabout or access control changes.

17. County Border (west of Eureka Rd) to Hwy 41/Hazeltine Blvd./ Lake Linden Dr.

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study to determine specific design improvements and review possible pedestrian improvements and connections.
• Medium-term: Construct signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study as well as the recommended pedestrian improvements and connections.

18. Hwy 7 and Eureka Rd.

• Medium-term: Construct an enhanced pedestrian crossing at Hwy 7, such as a rectangular rapid-flash beacon or pedestrian refuge island.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended during the corridor study, which could include a roundabout or other intersection control changes.

19. Hwy 7 and Hwy 41

• Short-term: Add pavement markings to include vehicle stop bars (i.e., thick white lines indicating where cars should stop before intersections) and study potential intersection improvements.
• Medium-term: Construct signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location.
• Long-term: Construct intersection improvements to improve safety and operations.

20. Hwy 41/Hazeltine Blvd./Lake Linden Dr. to CSAH 19/Oak St.

• Medium-term: Install cable median barrier.

21. Hwy 7 and High Pointe Rd./Our Savior Lutheran Church Driveways

• Short-term: Restrict left turns onto Hwy 7 at these intersections to improve safety.

22. Hwy 7 and Water St./Chaska Rd.

• Medium-term: Realign and construct an acceleration lane for the westbound right turn from Water St. onto Hwy 7 to prevent drivers illegally crossing Hwy 7 to get to Chaska Rd.

23. Hwy 7 and Galpin Lake Rd.

• Medium-term: Implement access control changes or closures and remove the free flow southbound right immediately east at Oak St./Galpin Lake Rd.

24. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. 19/Oak St.

• Short-term: Install a “no right turn on red” sign for the westbound right-turn movement (to be active during school arrival/dismissal times).

25. Hwy 7 and Morse Ave.

• Short-term: Improve traffic enforcement.
• Medium-term: Improve the safety and visibility for right-turn movements from Morse Ave. and potentially add a side street median.

26. Hwy 7 and Old Market Rd.

• Short-term: Monitor this intersection since improvements were recently completed.

Hwy 7 from Minnetonka to St. Louis Park

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study from the west extent to Co. Rd. 10 to determine appropriate roadway design. Install street name signs prior to all intersections.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

27. Vine Hill Rd. to Co. Hwy. 101

• Short-term: Implement pedestrian improvements and connections at intersection (including the area surrounding Minnetonka High School). Work with Minnetonka High School staff to improve parking management and traffic operations on campus.
• Medium-term: Construct signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location.
• Long-term: Construct the improvements recommended in corridor study as well as the recommended pedestrian improvements and connections.

28. Hwy 7 and Williston Rd.

• Short-term: Increase red light enforcement in this location.
• Medium-term: Construct signal improvements to increase visibility.
• Long-term: Add medians to expand intersection capacity.

29. I-494 to Co. Rd. 61/Shady Oak Rd.

• Medium-term: Install cable median barrier.

30. Hwy 7 and Shady Oak Rd.

• Short-term: Review pedestrian facilities in the area and identify additional connections needed.
• Long-term: Construct pedestrian improvements identified during this review.

31. 5th Ave./Oakridge Ave. to Hwy 169

• Short-term: Conduct a corridor study to determine specific design improvements.
• Medium-term: Install a battery backup at signals where this is needed and construct signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

32. Hwy 7 and US 169 Northbound Ramps

• Short-term: Install tighter and wider pavement markings.
• Medium-term: Construct signal improvements and improve visibility to reduce the number of drivers who run red lights in this location.

33. Hwy 7 and Co. Rd. 20/Blake Rd./Aquila Ave.

• Short-Term: Implement pavement surface treatments at intersection to improve vehicle control.
• Long-term: Construct improvements, such as alternative intersection types.

34. Co. Rd. 20/Blake Rd./Aquila Ave. to Louisiana Ave.

• Short-term: Install tighter and wider pavement markings. Study whether an upcoming intersection queue warning system (i.e., to warn drivers of an upcoming slowdown) needed in this location.
• Medium-term: Implement upcoming intersection queue warning system for westbound traffic if the study recommends that a system should be added.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study.

35. Hwy 7 and Texas Ave.

• Short-term: Implement pavement surface treatments at intersection to improve vehicle control and conduct a study to determine if an intersection queue warning system that would alert motorists of an upcoming vehicle queue is needed in this location. Additionally, add stop bars (thick white lines indicating where vehicles should stop before intersections) and widen crosswalk markings.
• Medium-term: Implement upcoming intersection queue warning system for westbound traffic if the study recommends that a system should be added.
• Long-term: Construct improvements recommended in the future corridor study, such as alternative intersection types.

36. Louisiana roundabouts

• Short-term: Review existing roundabouts to see if design changes can be made to improve safety, including potentially reducing the capacity of the roundabouts.
• Medium-term: Implement high visibility markings, overhead signing, and flashing beacons in advance of the roundabout and implement design changes to slow down high-speed eastbound exiting traffic, including raised crosswalks.