Rubber Safety Tubes Being Installed On 'Corridor Of Death' This Week
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Construction was slated to begin this week to make safety improvements to a stretch of road in the west metro known as the "corridor of death."
West Hennepin Public Safety wrote last week that rubber delineator tubes will be installed on a nearly 5-miles stretch of Highway 12, from County Road 90 near Independence to the Wright County line, beginning Tuesday. The construction is expected to last eight days.
Officials say crews will work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and longer shifts on the weekends. Drivers in the area should expect delays.
Highway 12, from Wayzata to western Wright County, was nicknamed the "corridor of death" following a number of fatal crashes in recent years. In response, officials have been working to improve safety on the highway, such as building concrete barriers between the opposing lanes of traffic. MnDOT also has plans to turn the County Road 90 intersection into a roundabout.
Drivers in the area told WCCO-TV last year that the combination of speed and cell phone distraction is partly to blame for Highway 12's grim reputation.
