Evaluation looked at access, parking, safety, traffic signals and more on roadway

An evaluation of South Broadway from Main Street to Seventh Street has determined the popular corridor would be safer as a three-lane roadway.

The study, by Bolton & Menk, looked at the access, parking, safety, traffic signals and other data for the street. It also reviewed the same concerns on Main Street from Newton Avenue to Washington Avenue.

The results were presented in front of the Albert Lea City Council on Monday.

Bryan Nemeth, traffic engineer with Bolton & Menk, said South Broadway presently sees 5,900 vehicles per day, which has actually declined over the years.

He said changing to a three-lane roadway — including two driving lanes and a center turn lane — would reduce all crashes that could occur by 29 percent, bringing with that a benefit of $1.6 million over 20 years, according to evidence from national studies.

That stretch of Broadway had 39 crashes from 2012 to 2014, a number which is actually two times the state average. Eleven of those 39 crashes involved injuries, he said.

Nemeth said a three-lane road would decrease average speeds by one mph but would increase travel time by four to five seconds.

Any semis turning off of Main Street to Broadway would see minimal changes, he said.

Nemeth said it would be difficult to get parking along Main Street unless there is a significant reduction in the lane size or sidewalk. If the sidewalks were reduced they would not fit the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

The idea to turn South Broadway into three lanes came from nationally known transportation expert Dan Burden, who visited the community in January and offered multiple suggestions for the corridor. He looked at making the roadway safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists and said Albert Lea’s traffic counts did not warrant having four lanes of traffic.

If two lanes of traffic were taken out, there could be bike lanes on both sides and parallel parking. There was not enough space for diagonal parking.

The urgency of the study comes as the road is slated for a state mill and overlay project this summer, with plans for a four-lane roadway; however, if the city wants to submit a proposal for a three-lane roadway, it must submit a change order to MnDOT. The request would be reviewed by a MnDOT team to see if it fits with the state’s overall plans and whether it would be financially and operationally functional. Work would not start until July.

The change in the cost of the project would be about $39,000.

South Broadway south of Main Street is also U.S. Highway 65, which is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.