Motorists who use Hwy. 7 in western Hennepin County say increasing traffic volumes combined with poor sightlines, short or non-existing left turn lanes and drivers crossing centerlines while navigating narrow curves with sun in their eyes makes the winding road unsafe.

Data from the Minnesota Department of Transportation backs up their claims. From 2016 through December 2020, the agency recorded 1,559 crashes along the stretch from Hwy. 100 in St. Louis Park to Carver County Road 33 in Hollywood Township. A majority of the mishaps are rear-end crashes, the data shows. But from January 2016 through September 2021, there were 28 crashes that led to a serious injury and 11 that resulted in at least one death.

One of those deaths happened June 22, 2021. A motorcyclist broadsided a vehicle turning onto Hwy. 7 at Eureka Road in Shorewood and died. The wreck that killed Parker Nelson, 20, of Wayzata, generated a lot of citizen concern, said MnDOT traffic engineer Derek Leuer, and that got the ball rolling on a road safety audit that the agency began in November and will wrap up in June.

"I'm glad folks are taking Hwy. 7 seriously," said Drive reader Brett in an e-mail. He said he has witnessed other crashes at Eureka Road while driving his kids to soccer at nearby Freeman Park. He added that other parents have said they worry about their safety when making left turns there. "We avoid it as much as possible."

As part of the audit, MnDOT collected suggestions from motorists and those who live in neighborhoods along the highway that passes through urban, suburban and rural areas. They proposed roundabouts at Eureka and Smithtown roads, added stoplights, additional and longer left turn lanes, wider shoulders and better lighting. Slower speeds would help, too.

"With all the traffic and speeds, it's hard to get out onto the highway," Leuer said. "They are frustrated."

Besides analyzing crash data, the audit included MnDOT officials driving the corridor with a video camera and making notes, Leuer said. The video allowed a team consisting of state, county and city transportation engineers and members of the State Patrol to drive the 32-mile stretch virtually and study street maps to identify problems.

Their findings will be compiled and released in a report recommending possible fixes, Leuer said.

Ideas could echo those suggested by drivers who use the road, but also might include eliminating the number of places to pull onto the highway, adding curbs and sidewalks or putting in J-turns — those intersections in which drivers intending to go left must first go right, go down several hundred feet to an opening in the median then make a U-turn. New signs and improved pavement markings also are possibilities.

Any changes will take time and money, commodities MnDOT is short on at present, Leuer said.

"It is very complicated corridor," Leuer said. "We want to make Hwy. 7 safer."