Roadguy: What's up with 35E? Don't ask your GPS

Last update: November 9, 2009 - 8:13 AM

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One of the most frequent questions Roadguy hears is "What's the deal with 35E?"

Even if you're a west metro driver who has little use for that particular interstate, you probably know what I'm talking about: the heavily landscaped, 45-mile-per-hour, no-trucks stretch between downtown St. Paul and the Mississippi River.

I've heard at least one person describe it as "the practice freeway," and its unusual characteristics stem from the fact that neighbors didn't want a freeway at all. The design is the result of decades-old court decisions and compromises.

If humans have trouble fathoming 35E's quirks, imagine how GPS navigation devices feel. Alert reader Darrell, who drives a 13-ton truck, called Roadguy to point out that his GPS unit had no idea about the 4 1/2-ton weight limit on the special segment.

I contacted Garmin about this, and, lo and behold, spokesman Ted Gartner informed me that his company has a newish product, the Nuvi 465T -- "T" as in "truck." It contains databases on height, weight and hazardous cargo restrictions, making it capable of guiding a trucker on a path of righteous driving -- and giving Darrell something to put on his Christmas list.

That glow in the road

Alert reader Larry has a question:

I noticed a short segment of high-intensity lights located in the pavement of I-35W ... between the HOV lane and regular lanes. Is there a possibility that this type of in-pavement light would replace painted lane markings? It would be a huge improvement for rainy nights when the lines are harder to see and for senior drivers who have more difficulty with night vision.

Those dashes near 42nd Street contain LED lights, said Todd Kramascz, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, who added that they're flush with the pavement so the plows won't scrape them off. There's no plan to use them anywhere else at this time, though they might appear whenever future MnPass lanes are created.

Alert reader Steve also would like to see brighter lines:

Has MnDOT ever looked into using a different color for their road markings, such as the safety green that is now very prevalent, rather than using white markings for a winter climate state?

The short answer: They're not allowed. Pavement LEDs are a fairly recent addition to the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices," Kramascz said, but there's no provision for bright green lines.

One more note on squeegees

Alert reader Ken is a fan of clean windshields, especially in the summer, when the smashed bugs build up. Instead of asking or requiring gas stations to provide squeegees, he suggests making them available at state-run rest areas for everyone to use.

He might not want to say that too loudly, however -- a furor might erupt over a public option.

Jim Foti can be reached at 612-673-4491 or roadguy@startribune.com.

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