MnDOT completes Highway 169 road safety audit to guide improvements from Elk River to Princeton

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation has completed a road safety audit on Highway 169 between Elk River and Princeton in Sherburne County. The audit, completed this summer, examined conditions from County Road 33 to County Road 29 and included opportunities for public feedback to help identify safety concerns and potential improvements.

The safety audit for this section of Highway 169 is the first step in identifying short- and long-term improvements. It included an assessment of current conditions, crash data and field reviews, among other analyses. Notably, a total of 12 fatal and 17 serious injury crashes were documented along the corridor from 2015 to 2024, eight of which involved motorcycles. A comprehensive, final report was created to guide future projects along the corridor.

Proposed short-term improvements include a high-tension project to install cable barriers, curve signing for better visibility and intersection lighting. Mid- to long-term improvements will be determined during the next phase of the process, with a corridor study set to begin in late 2026. The MnDOT study will consider the needs for improved access management, intersection sight distance, changes to intersections, as well as continued crash and traffic monitoring.

The final report and other information about the Highway 169 road safety audit are available online. The public is encouraged to sign up for email updates on the project webpage to stay informed.

MnDOT encourages participation by all, as we believe everyone should have an equal opportunity to enjoy the programs, services and activities we provide. If you need an ASL, a foreign language interpreter, or other reasonable accommodation, or need documents in an alternative format (such as braille or large print), please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720.

For more information on projects in central Minnesota, log onto mndot.gov/d3/projects

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