CALUMET, Minn. – Earlier this legislative session, Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) introduced a bill to fund construction of a new turn and bypass lane on Highway 169 in front of the Greenway Fire Department in Calumet. This week, officials from the Minnesota Department of Transportation informed Rep. Sandstede that work is underway to restripe the roadway to provide a left turn/bypass lane for access to the station and to alleviate traffic.
“I heard from MnDOT engineers who drove by the site and saw firsthand just how concerning the current arrangement is for firefighter access, especially in situations where seconds may be precious,” Rep. Sandstede said. “Soon after, they spoke with Chief Ladd Finke and they came up with a solution to get this work done with existing funding.”
The Greenway Fire Department was created in 2010 with the merger of the Calumet and Marble fire departments. Construction of the new fire hall was completed in 2014. However, Highway 169’s two-lane arrangement provided firefighters difficulty in accessing the station during periods of high traffic.
MnDOT had estimated construction of new lanes, as directed in Rep. Sandstede’s legislation, to cost $292,500.
“I’m excited that we were able to get MnDOT’s attention on this needed work, which will enhance public safety for residents of the region,” Sandstede said. “I want to thank Chief Finke and firefighter Don ‘Bugs’ Bogdanovich for their advocacy and help in sparking the conversation to get this accomplished. I would also like to thank the men and women of the Greenway Volunteer Fire Department for their invaluable service.”
MnDOT further communicated that their next step may be to modify the procedure for activation of warning lights near the station. When the first firefighter arrives at the hall, lights would turn on, alerting traffic to turning movements when others arrive on scene.
Rep. Sandstede encourages constituents to reach out to her about any issue. She can be reached via email at rep.julie.sandstede@house.mn, by phone at 651-296-0172, and encourages constituents to sign up for periodic email updates at her House website, located at www.house.mn/6a.