A presentation on the proposed Highway 2 was presented to Beltrami County Board members by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The project focuses on adding reduced conflict intersections to a corridor between Bemidji and Wilton. This will prevent drivers from crossing several highway lanes to make a left turn.

Instead, drivers will have to make a U-turn. A project manager with MnDOT says a three-year study done by the department shows a 100 percent reduction rate for injuries in crashes.

“So in that three-year period, no crashes, fatal or serious type, were observed. These types of intersections were installed and there’s been a 50 percent reduction in injury-type crashes,” Joe McKinnon said.

The Highway 2 project, which is funded for 2021, has some officials in both Wilton and Eckles Townships concerned.

By — Malaak Khattab

News Reporter