Hutchinson Leader - Slideshow - Comments

I shot some video of the

Eric Kraushar — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:18:43 -0500

I shot some video of the homecoming royalty during Friday's halftime show (in a 55-0 wallop). I got it on our new sports site this afternoon.

Just go to: www.myprepsplus.mn and then go to the Hutchinson page. It's there now. There's also some video from the game.

SLIDESHOW: Don't miss these

Kay Johnson — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:39:58 -0500

SLIDESHOW: Don't miss these photos from the Hutchinson Theatre Company's summer musical, "Chicago." Click on the "Multimedia" tab at the top of the page and click on "Recent Slide Shows" to view.

The play opened Thursday, Aug. 13, and will run through Saturday, Aug. 15. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m. in the air-conditioned Hutchinson High School auditorium, 1200 Roberts Road S.W. Tickets are for reserved seating, $15 for adults and $10 for youth, and can be purchased online at www.hutchtheatre.org, or at the door. The play is performed nightly through Saturday, Aug. 15. For more information, call (320) 587-2599.

(Kay Johnson is a staff writer for the Leader. She can be reached at johnson@hutchinsonleader.com.)

A roundabout was mentioned

anotheropinion — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:22:57 -0500

A roundabout was mentioned for County Road 7 and 18, the people in the area that went to the meeting for it voiced their opinion, they did not want a roundabout. You should of went to Hutch's meeting for the roundabout on Hwy 15 and voiced your opinion then.

According to MnDOT, the

Terry Davis — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:07:05 -0500

According to MnDOT, the price was $1.6 million. I don't know if that includes the substantial amount of storm sewer work the city did in that area at the same time. I believe that totaled about $200,000.

Apparently, a signaled intersection would not have been much less expensive. The lights, alone, cost more than $300,000, according to MnDOT officials. Putting in the signals also would have required substantial road work to add left and right turn lanes, meaning all four legs of the intersection would have received considerable work, and have gotten wider. At the open house last week (Dec.?) MnDOT officials said addition right of way may have been needed to get that to fit, so there would have been costs of buying the land.

I've been in Hutchinson 23.5 years and have covered several major collisions at that intersection. Can't recall if there were fatal ones, but believe there have been. Signals don't necessary make an intersection safer, as evident by the several crashes we've had at other Hwy. 15 intersections with signals just since December. People still run red lights or fail to yield when making left turns. Those result in more serious T-bone type crashes at 40 mph (on the south end of Hutch) than the glancing fender benders at 20 mph this roundabout may have in lesser numbers in the future.

Folks, you might as well get used to them. Once Hwy. 7 is finished to the Twin Cities, you'll have to negotiate two of them. I drove through one three times in downtown Gettysburg, PA., in July, when the city was crawling with thousands of battlefield tourists and never really had to come to a complete stop for more than a moment. If it works there, I think it will work in the more open, less traveled locations as we have around here.

Complaining now on the Internet, when the work is done, is kind of pointless. It would have been better to attend the open house in person back in December or commented to MnDOT even before then. We covered this in the Leader for at least 18 months or more before work even began.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)

Quit complaining, go through

MOVEON — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:43:27 -0500

Quit complaining, go through it a few times and you should have it figured out. This is much better than the way it was and much better than stop lights. It's something new for our area and everyone online just can't handle change. Dr. Remulak, How can you be a Dr. when you are thinking that this truck would never make it if it were to turn left, YOU CAN'T!!!!!! You go in right and exit to the right. You do curve left, but as long as the truck keeps his front to the right, he will have no problems, you see big trucks go over curbs, and other corners all the time. Thats life. I've noticed during "Rush Hour"(HTI Shift Change) it is a little busy, but it moves traffic much better, I did have to stop because of all the traffic, but I was at that intersection for no more than 45 seconds, when in the past I have sat for 15 minutes trying to get across. Plain and Simple, accept change, and deal with it. It's new, and within the next 10 years it will be the new intersection everywhere. I can tell you that everyone complaining about how bad it is, would complain if it was the other way around, We are taking out the roundabout and replacing it with an intersection with 2 stop signs. You would all start up saying that is stupid, waste of money, the roundabout is great, why change it. Don't say you wouldn't. You are all used to what it was, and can't deal with what it is. This intersection is great, if you don't like it take a different route.

There have been a lot more

flowerladytoo — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:27:00 -0500

There have been a lot more accidents and fatalities at Hwy 18 and County Road 7 than at this intersection. They should have put the roundabout there instead. Putting a roundabout on Hwy 15 was stupid, in my opinion.

Why are so many people so

ThAtSsOrAvEn — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:18:23 -0500

Why are so many people so confused about driving through this circle thingy. Are the confused all female or are men confused too? I am more interested in how much this ****** thing cost!!!

What I would call it is poor

Tip up — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:26:24 -0500

What I would call it is poor drivers "shooting the gap" and "playing chicken". It's called Darwinism. The strong and smart will survive. We just dumbed down society again.

Uh, no, the old intersection

itsjustme — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:34:02 -0500

Uh, no, the old intersection was NOT working so great. First of all, there have been a few fatal accidents there over the years. And if you ever crossed the highway at 7 or 8 am or 5 pm when traffic was busy, you'd see several cars lined up on North High Drive waiting their turn to "shoot the gap" and try to get across. Nothing like playing chicken with a semi barreling down Hwy 15. I've seen cars get impatient and cut through the Outpost's parking lot rather than wait any longer. Not exactly what I would call working great, would you?

I don't recall hearing much

ThAtSsOrAvEn — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:51:20 -0500

I don't recall hearing much about injuries and deaths that occurred in this area. I want to know what the price tag on this thing? Terry can you dig up the total costs for such a life saving canal.

It looks like all the slower

Miller62 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:35:19 -0500

It looks like all the slower speed limit signs are up now. I like seeing how smoothly the cars go around the roundabout as I approach and I am sure it will save many injuries and lives over its lifetime.

Who said they were using the

Tip up — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:24:18 -0500

Who said they were using the left turn signal?

Those who say it's working so great, well so was the previous intersection! The majority of the traffic is north and south bound...just perfect for the way it was set up before, with stop signs on the lighter traveled intersecting streets. What a waste of money.

That rig would NEVER had

Dr.Remulak — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:47:05 -0500

That rig would NEVER had made it around if he were to take a left turn! Come on, I agree, white elephant, disaster, mud slide, whatever you want to call it, it is a BAD IDEA on a major through-way!
Tear it up, pave it over, put up some lights (timed correctly please) and call it a day....

I'm a little worried that

Miller62 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:53:31 -0500

I'm a little worried that MNDot has not posted slower speed limit signs on 15 approaching the roundabout (at least from the south). I noted that there is a 20 MPH sign posted on the eastbound lane of North High. Hopefully MNDot will use the same signs on 15 as well. So far I think the roundabout is working pretty well. I've used it 4 or 5 times with no problems at all. It is a huge improvement in looks over the old intersection, too.

Come on people!!! It's not

indy — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:51:53 -0500

Come on people!!! It's not that hard to figure out. Your LEFT turn signal should NEVER be on. You will always be entering and exiting to the RIGHT. There will always be issues as long as someone wants there to be one. If you are going south on 15 and want to go east on North High Dr., enter the loop (to the RIGHT) and proceed to the 3rd exit (North High Drive) and get out (to the RIGHT)! Signal when you pass the exit for 15 south. DUH! If you feel that you are too incompetent to hande the roundabout - stick to the detour!