Olmsted County and City of Rochester collaborating to minimize crashes at intersection near Century High School

On Tuesday, August 31, 2021, a Century High School student was injured in a crash while crossing the street at the intersection of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 2 (also known as Viola Road), Century Hills Drive, and Cassidy Drive. Ongoing planning and project development between Olmsted County and the City of Rochester will continue in an effort to address safety at the intersection.

An Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) report was recently completed for this particular intersection. An ICE is a tool for analyzing, evaluating, and determining the appropriate traffic control measure(s) to install at the intersection. Through this report, it was determined that a roundabout will be constructed at the CSAH 2 (Viola Road), Century Hills Drive, and Cassidy Drive intersection. The design work for this project will be completed in 2022 and the roundabout work will be completed in 2023. This roundabout is a joint city/county project.   

“The safety of all transportation system users within Olmsted County is the top priority of Public Works,” said Olmsted County Engineer and Director of Public Works Ben Johnson. “We look forward to a successful joint project with the city to address issues at this intersection. County and city staff will continue to monitor and coordinate on any potential interim solutions.” 

“Anytime we have an individual hurt on our streets, we take seriously the need to address opportunities to make improvements with the hopes it minimizes potential incidents in the future. We are appreciative of our partnership with Olmsted County and Rochester Public Schools,” shared the City of Rochester Engineer Dillon Dombrovski.    

“Safety is our top priority, and we share our parents’, community members’, and students’ concerns. We are committed to working with Olmsted County and the City of Rochester to address the safety of this roadway. Currently, the District is working with the Safe Routes to School coordinator and other departments, including the City of Rochester Police Department, on immediate but sustainable safety measures,” noted Rochester Public Schools Interim Superintendent Kent Pekel.

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Media Contact: Gretchen Williamson, Communications Manager, 507-328-6024