I-535 Blatnik Bridge

Roundabout education

With the replacement of the Blatnik Bridge, two roundabouts are planned on the Superior side of the new bridge. I-535 will no longer direct traffic onto Hammond Avenue but will instead flow to Hwy 53. Those wishing to access Superior, will exit the interstate and navigate a roundabout to access city streets. Both single-lane roundabouts will be built to accommodate semi-trucks and oversize, overweight loads.

While roundabouts are not new to Minnesota, or even Superior and Duluth, the two states recognize the need for more education around driving the intersection controls. Below are several links for multiple departments of transportation with education on how to drive roundabouts, safety statistics and much more information.

Resources

The Wisconsin DOT website shares information on driving in roundabouts whether you have a passenger vehicle, large vehicle or bicycle. There are brochures to download and share, and videos that talk about safety.

The Minnesota DOT website share information on why we construct roundabouts, how to navigate them and the different features of a roundabout. There are also videos, brochures, examples and links to more states with roundabout education.

The Utah DOT Traffic and Safety division produced an informational video on roundabouts. It showcases the benefits of roundabouts (especially the safety benefit) to a wide variety of audiences. Roundabouts are not the perfect solution at all intersections, however, in the right locations, roundabouts can be a very safe and efficient way to move not just motor vehicles but pedestrians and bicyclists, too.