“If you travel on Birch now, you’re going to see a lot of orange,” said Rice Lake Principal Bryan Carlson. “The spring season is upon us along with construction season. It’s pretty obvious and exciting too to see it happen.” The project will have a big impact on how drivers get to the school. One entrance will re-align with a new roundabout at Tomahawk Drive. School officials hope that’s the one most parents will use to drop off or pick up children in the future. There will also be a divider along Birch to prohibit left turns. Drivers will use one of the two roundabouts to get across. During rush hour, the problem has been cars waiting to find a break in the traffic to turn left. “It backs up when people are trying to travel eastbound and are trying to take a left into the parking lot. It backs up if they can’t,” said Carlson. “At that point it backs up so far it blocks the other entrance. So it’s kind of a gridlock.” Principal Carlson says the new plan will offer a better flow to get cars bound for the school off of Birch Street faster. It will also have the impact of slowing down traffic, making it safer for kids walking and riding bikes. He says people know the changes need to happen, even though it’s not always popular. “Not everybody’s crazy about the idea, but I think people know that we have to slow the traffic down out there. I think that’s the reality,” he said. “Pick-up time and drop off time, people are waiting they’re waiting and it’s frustrating. It’s becoming unsafe to where people are driving on the shoulders.” The school is also getting a new parking lot that. Carlson says that will help during big events when cars sometimes have to park on the shoulder of Birch Street. Detours are not planned until school gets out for the summer.
BIRCH STREET PROJECT COULD IMPROVE SAFETY AT RICE LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN LINO LAKES
LINO LAKES – (March 25, 2021) – A construction project that will change the look of a heavily traveled county road in Lino Lakes is underway. School officials say a major benefit will be increased safety for students. As preliminary work begins to build two roundabouts on Birch Street near Rice Lake Elementary, it’s clear construction season is here.
