A concerned property owner brought his concerns about the continued presence of rumble strips on Highway 61 east of Judge Magney State Park to Cook County Commissioners on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. John Gorski expressed alarm that the mitigation or removal of the rumble strips appears to have stopped. The Cook County News-Herald contacted Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Engineer James Miles who said there are plans to continue mitigation efforts this summer.
In a phone conversation, Miles said when MnDOT stopped filling in the rumble strips east of Grand Marais last fall because of weather, he told people that MnDOT had completed what it had planned last year.
“After we stopped our operation last year because of the weather, we heard from quite a few more people. My reply then was that we’d heard those concerns and would be looking at it,” said Miles.
Those concerns were heard, said Miles, who said a public statement about this summer’s plans for mitigation of rumble strips is being prepared. “We’ll be filling in a significant number of rumbles. I’m not at liberty to say where at this time, but I think people will be pleased.”
There are some citizens who want the rumble strips removed entirely. Property owners near Highway 61 say that the mitigation only reduces the sound, it does not eliminate it. And, one property owner told the News-Herald that the mitigation— an asphalt patch—is not permanent.
Derek Fredrickson, the Highway 61 corridor manager, said research is under way regarding rumble strips and there are no plans for any new rumble strips. “Right now we put a moratorium on putting in anymore rumble strips until we do some research on different ways of grinding them in.
“We are looking at a sinusoidal method, which is more of a wave pattern. It is something that may get the attention of the driver, but be less annoying to homeowners in the vicinity.”
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