Shermans Corner realignment has reduced crashes

ANGORA— A realignment of the intersection known as Shermans Corner along Hwy. 53 has significantly reduced accidents at the site, according to MnDOT crash data obtained by the Timberjay. It suggests the $1 million redesign of the intersection, located where Hwy. 1 and County Rd. 22 meet Hwy. 53, may have been a worthwhile safety investment.
MnDOT made the upgrade at the intersection in 2019, five years after the conversion of Hwy. 53 to a four-lane divided highway north to Cook. MnDOT engineers have found that standard intersections along divided highways can be at higher risk for crashes, particularly right-angle crashes.
That proved to be the case at Shermans Corners in the wake of the Hwy. 53 conversion to four-lane back in 2014. Over the next five years, the intersection averaged four crashes annually, with 80 percent in daylight and 90 percent under dry conditions. Half of the incidents were labeled as angle crashes, while 20 percent were classified as rear-end crashes. Ten involved minor injuries, with possible injuries in another four incidents at the intersection. Most of the crashes occurred as cross traffic entered the far lanes of the highway.
Josie Olson, who managed the intersection project for MnDOT back in 2019, said the realignment was known as a “reduced conflict intersection” or “J-turn” to MnDOT engineers. “MnDOT has studied these intersections all across the state and has seen reduced right-angle crashes,” Olson told the Timberjay at the time. “That is the goal with this project.”
In fact, MnDOT’s own research found somewhat mixed results, with some locations seeing little reduction in crashes, while others saw significant improvement. But for some intersections, the redirection of traffic with the new style of intersection can make a significant difference, even if the changes are typically unpopular with the public.
Changes at Shermans Corners
Drivers wanting to cross Hwy. 53 at the intersection or those seeking to turn left from either of the side roads, have seen the most change from the realignment, requiring that they turn right onto Hwy. 53, then travel a short distance to a dedicated U-turn lane that places them back on Hwy 53 headed in the opposite direction. From there, they can either continue on Hwy. 53 or make a right turn to continue on either of the crossroads. Those seeking to turn left off of Hwy. 53 onto either Hwy. 1 or County Rd. 22 now have a dedicated turn lane. Those seeking to turn right from either of the crossroads onto Hwy. 53 in either direction are unaffected by the change.
The changes appear to have made a significant difference. In the five years since the change, the intersection has seen just one minor accident, back in 2020, that involved no injuries. Since then, the intersection has been accident-free.
“That makes me pretty happy when I can see a change make that kind of a difference,” said Jim Miles, a traffic safety engineer with MnDOT’s District 1 office in Duluth.
Miles noted that the intersection struck some drivers as odd at first. “These tend to be more unpopular intersections with the public. Most drivers seem to like convenience over safety,” he said.