MARSHALL — A safety improvement project on Minnesota Highway 23 near Marshall High School has been awarded over $1.9 million in federal aid, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said Thursday.

MnDOT’s District 8 announced that it had been awarded a total of $2.686 million from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) for three projects, including construction of a J-turn at the intersection of Highway 23 and Tiger Drive. The J-turn project — which received $1.98 million in HSIP funding — will help prevent serious “T-bone” crashes at the intersection, MnDOT said.

MnDOT said the J-turn is scheduled to be implemented in 2028.

The other two area projects to receive HSIP funding include construction of a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. Highway 212 and Highway 15 in Brownton, and installation of new chevron signs, rumble strips and lighting on highways throughout District 8.

HSIP is a federal funding program designed to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roads, MnDOT said.

The idea to build a J-turn at the intersection of Highway 23 and Tiger Drive grew out of discussions between Marshall area community members and MnDOT. The intersection was one of several trouble spots that local stakeholders pointed out at a meeting organized by the Marshall Area Transportation Group last year.

“This has been a priority for the Marshall Area Transportation Group, for safety reasons,” Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said of the J-turn project.

Byrnes was one of the Marshall city representatives present at the 2024 stakeholder meeting.

The Tiger Drive intersection is located near Marshall High School, and sees a lot of use before and after school.

“There’s lots of conflicts, with different turn movements,” Byrnes said. Large numbers of vehicles waiting to turn onto or cross Highway 23, or to make a U-turn at the intersection, created a risky situation for drivers. “Thankfully, MnDOT recognized that.”

Marshall already has other J-turns along the Highway 23 corridor, including at the intersection of Highway 23 and Saratoga Street, and Highway 23 and Lyon County Road 7.

“They have greatly reduced the potential for serious accidents,” Byrnes said.