Burnsville officials announce plan to fix intersection that's seen 75 crashes in the last 5 years
BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Dozens of crashes and two deadly accidents involving pedestrians have the city of Burnsville looking to make a change. Residents say that something urgent needs to be done at what some are calling one of the metro area's most dangerous intersections.
Pizza delivery driver Max Desvousges comes upon Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue in Burnsville many times daily. He says a green light isn't even an automatic go for him. He looks both ways first.
"I've seen some crazy crashes. I've actually been at that intersection while crashes happen, and it's scary because the cars are going so fast," he said.
There were 75 crashes at that intersection from 2018 through 2022, with five times the state's average fatal crash rate. Two pedestrians have been killed since last summer.
"We can't continue this," Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz said.
Kautz stood with Rep. Angie Craig Monday to announce a $3 million dollar federal investment in a construction project to redesign the intersection.
"This is really a major junction in the city of Burnsville and across the 2nd District, one of the most problematic. We really need to treat this as the urgent situation that it is," Craig said.
The plan is to raise Nicollet so Highway 13 can pass underneath.
"There will also be a safe connection for bicyclists and pedestrians so we don't have the kinds of accidents we encounter," Kautz said.
Pedestrian Joshua Martinson pointed out that the intersection has seen a number of new condos and apartments go up in recent years.
"It's really starting to boom a lot here, especially because of the highway access, so it's something they should definitely consider," he said.
Desvousges will need to continue looking both ways for some time though. Construction isn't scheduled to begin until 2027.
The city still needs $25 million for the project. A spokesperson says there are no plans to put any of that directly on taxpayers, including implementing a sales tax.
