Highway 14 J-turn to open near Byron on Saturday

(ABC 6 News) – A Highway 14 J-turn at Olmsted Co. Rd. 3 east of Byron is scheduled to open Saturday, June 17, said the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

MnDOT said the safety improvement project will help reduce right-angle, highway-speed crashes, sometimes called T-bone crashes, which can result in serious injury or death.

The J-turn allows Highway 14 motorists to make left turns onto County Road 3, but County Road 3 motorists will not be able to directly cross Highway 14 or immediately turn left. Instead, they will use designated median U-turn sections to reach their destinations.

Between 2018 and 2022, 20 crashes were reported at this intersection. During that time, one crash was fatal and 50% were right-angle crashes, said MnDOT.

Construction of the project began in April this year. While the traffic lanes will fully open on Saturday, motorists should be alert for the construction contractor, who will be doing final work at or near the road in the weeks ahead.