BLUE EARTH– Drivers traveling between Blue Earth and Fairmont will soon be able to make their trip a little bit faster when utilizing County Road (CR) 16 in Faribault County and CR 26 in Martin County following a decision by the Faribault County Commissioners at their meeting on Thursday.

However, while the posted speed limit will be raised to 60 miles per hour in Faribault County, in Martin County the speed limit will be 55 mph, at least for now.

“It has been the plan to have the speed limit be 60 mph from Blue Earth to Fairmont,” Daly said. “We first submitted a request for a speed study to the Minnesota Department of Transportation in July of 2019.”

Daly shared the results of that study showed CR 26 met the 60 mph requirements but CR 16 did not.

“At that time, CR 16 did not have paved shoulders or rumble strips,” Daly explained. “In October of 2021, we advised MnDOT that Faribault County had completed work on CR 16 which included four-foot paved shoulders and rumble strips.”

A new speed study was conducted and completed in October of this year.

“Now, CR 16 was approved for 60 mph but CR 26 was not,” Daly said. “MnDOT wants CR 26 kept at 55 mph for another year. This is because of three crashes which all happened at one intersection in a 30 mph zone on the eastern edge of Fairmont. Martin County has since made significant safety improvements to that area.”

Daly noted that he and Martin County engineer, Kevin Peyman, have advised MnDOT that they do not agree with MnDOT’s findings.

“We provided additional information to MnDOT but we have not received a response from them yet,” Daly commented. “We are also recommending that we increase the speed limit to 60 mph on CR 16 and put up 55 mph signs on CR 26.”

After some discussion the commissioners passed a motion to raise the speed limit on CR 16 beginning west of the Blue Earth Industrial Park to the Martin County line.

In other business, the commissioners:

— Approved the Help Americans Vote Act phase two election grant which will make $4,288.94 available to the county to improve security and accessibility for elections. There is no timetable for spending the funds.

— Passed a resolution allowing Darren Esser and Kathryn Anderson of the Faribault County Treasurer’s office to make electronic funds transfers on behalf of Faribault County for one year.