EYOTA Minn. — A Lewiston driver was injured when he lost control inside the viaduct under the Canadian Pacific’s South Dakota railroad branch line. This was west of Eyota. Yang Vue, 45, was taken 16 miles to a Rochester hospital with sustainable injuries. The accident was in snowy and icy conditions on U.S. Highway 14 about 6:40 a.m. His 2024 Subaru Crorsstrk emerged from the tunnel-like underpass and rolled on its side into a tree.
Outdated and dangerous. The design is a relic from an earlier era of civil engineering. Think Model Ts. Yes, today there are warning signs to slow for the dip and twists and for truckers to double-check their clearances. But repeated accidents and near-collisions show these to have been woefully inadequate. So too has been the latest supposed fix by the state Transportation Department — rumble strips.
Like the thrills of a crazy carnival ride
But more dangerous. The accident was at an especially dangerous point on the US.14 commuting trunk between Winona and Rochester. The 55-mph highway, mostly a straight line through flatlands, dips suddenly under the railroad tracks. The surprise for unwary motorists is compounded by near 90-degree curves from both directions. Truckers face an additional issue — low clearance. The design is a relic from an earlier era of civil engineering. Think Model Ts. Yes, today there are warning signs to slow for the dip and twists and for truckers to double-check their clearances. But repeated accidents and near-collisions show these to have been woefully inadequate. So too has been the latest supposed fix by the state Transportation Department — rumble strips.