MnDOT alerts motorists to Hwy 60 Mountain Lake intersection warning system problem

Motorists using the Highway 60 intersection with Cottonwood County Road 1 in Mountain Lake have likely noticed a lot of flashing lights.

The Rural Intersection Conflict Warning System (RICWS) installed at the intersection to warn traffic of other vehicles which are approaching or entering the intersection has been failing to detect a significant portion of the traffic on Highway 60.  Because the system hasn’t been operating correctly, MnDOT placed the system into a fault mode, where all of the system’s lights flash continuously.

MnDOT has been troubleshooting the system, replacing components likely to be the culprit, without success.  Additional parts are on order, but due to supplier issues, it’s unclear when repairs can be made.

It’s anticipated that it will be several more weeks before the system will be back in normal operation.  With the system being inoperable, MnDOT requests that motorists continue to be conscientious when using the intersection.