Faribault Old 4th Street Intersection Work Begins Today

The construction of the intersection of old 4th Street and Rice County Road 48 is scheduled to begin today.  The orange barrels and signs are in place and markings are ready at the Faribault intersection.  People will not be able to cross at that intersection.

Mayor Kevin Voracek told us last week the project was requested by Rice County.  Not by the City of Faribault or the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The latest traffic count map for Faribault is from 2018 and shows some significant numbers as you can imagine on I-35 around Faribault.  Just south of Faribault I-35 has a northbound count of 32,500.  North of Faribault at Rice County Road 9 the number grows to 33,500.

Highway 60 and Minnesota Highway 21 or Rice County Road 48 intersection had a count of 11,700.  The map does not have a clear count at old 4th street but the number is 8,700 just south of the Highway 60, Highway 21 intersection.

At the I-35 and Highway 21 intersection the count was 15,000 vehicles.  Between the 32,500 south of Faribault and 33,500 at County Road 9 the count on I-35 west of Faribault is 27,500.

It's interesting to note the intersection where the first roundabout in Faribault is scheduled for construction at 30th Street Northwest and Highway 3 had a count in 2018 of approximately 8,900 vehicles a day.  A significant number of those must be semis leaving and entering the industrial park.

Another road project in Faribault will be the elimination of the Park Place turn by Buckham Memorial Library to the south on County Road 45 off Division Street.

The east library parking lot is being expanded to the east.  Mayor Voracek tells KDHL the city should gain 6 parking spaces with the project.