Reconstruction of the I-35W/Hwy 62 (Crosstown) commons area will be halted while a consultant performs a legislatively mandated study of the project. A report of the findings is due to the Legislature in January 2002.

Mn/DOT has selected Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade and Douglas, Inc. to perform the I-35W /Hwy 62 study the Legislature has required the department to conduct, according to John Griffith, the study’s project manager.

Reconstruction of the I-35W/Hwy 62 (Crosstown) commons area will be halted while the consultant conducts the study. Mn/DOT will report the consultant’s findings to the Legislature in January 2002.

Griffith said the consultant will review the existing project to develop alternatives that would allow the project to:

• Be constructed more quickly;

• Have fewer disruptions to motorists; and

• Add capacity.

Mn/DOT has been working toward developing projects that address capacity and safety issues in the Crosstown Commons area for more than 15 years, Griffith said, adding that any modification to the department’s existing plan could cause a minimum delay of the project of at least one year. A complete redesign may take two years or more.

"Approval processes may need to be re-instituted, including municipal, state, federal, environmental and historical," Griffith said. "A re-evaluation of the environmental impact statement may also need to be done and approved."

For more information, contact John Griffith at 651/582-1206.

By Todd Kramascz

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The department’s 25th anniversary celebration continues with Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg scheduled to visit each district office and Metro Division this fall.

"By taking the celebration on the road, the commissioner hopes to connect again with the many faces of Mn/DOT and the various community partners who support us throughout the year," said Margo LaBau, chief of staff.

The commissioner visits with employees will focus on celebrating Mn/DOT and Moving Minnesota, LaBau said, and may include interaction with the public, such as ribbon-cutting ceremonies for a completed project or a groundbreaking event for a new project.

The commissioner will visit district offices on the following dates:

• Aug. 30-31—District 7

• Sept. 5-6—District 2

• Sept. 7—Metro Division

• Sept. 17-18—District 1

• Sept. 20-21—District 4

• Sept. 24-25—District 3

• Oct. 8-9—District 6

• Oct. 15-16—District 8

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A proposal last week from the Wisconsin DOT to revive stalled negotiations for a new St. Croix River crossing at Stillwater drew support from Mn/DOT as well.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott McCallum made the request Aug. 16 for services from the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. The institute, an independent federal agency, uses non-adversarial methods to help resolve conflicts regarding public lands, natural resources and the environment that involve federal agencies or interests.

In a statement supporting the Wisconsin initiative, Mn/DOT commended the action, noting that engaging the institute’s services is a worthwhile effort to determine if a solution can be found to the impasse.

McCallum’s request seeks agreement on the disposition and mitigation of the existing Lift Bridge that needs to be replaced due to structural deterioration and a two-lane design that creates severe traffic congestion in peak periods.

The bridge project is a joint effort involving the Minnesota and Wisconsin DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration and other local, state and federal agencies and private organizations.

Both states suspended planning work on the bridge earlier this year citing a lack of consensus and funding for alternatives for the existing bridge.

Click here to view Mn/DOT’s Aug. 16 statement or to view the May 23 Mn/DOT Newsline article. For more information, contact Judy Melander, 651/284-3888.

By Craig Wilkins

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Commonly seen road signs, a balloon-tired bike and a tent-like display of highway plans comprise a exhibit mounted by the former Minnesota Highway Department at the Minnesota State Fair in 1948.

"Moving Minnesota" is more than just the theme of this year’s Mn/DOT State Fair exhibit; it’s also an appropriate metaphor for people participating in or attending the Minnesota State Fair.

More than 1.5 million visitors are expected to attend the State Fair, which runs this year from Aug. 23 through Sept. 3. Last year, 100,000 fairgoers visited Mn/DOT’s outdoor exhibit, located at 1698 Judson Boulevard near the main Como Avenue entrance.

That’s a sizeable audience for Mn/DOT’s key messages, said Sue Stein, Mn/DOT’s State Fair exhibit coordinator. Included in this year’s exhibit is a timeline of some of the milestones Mn/DOT has achieved during the past quarter of a century to mark the agency’s 25th anniversary.

Safety is another key message Mn/DOT is promoting at the exhibit through activities and informational items at the exhibit, Stein said. The snowplow at the booth entrance provides a driver’s-seat view for kids and adults alike. Fairgoers on "Kids Day" can also bring their children to the booth for pedestrian safety lessons.

In addition, the "Kids’ Corner" will feature touch-and-see samples from Mn/DOT‘s research laboratory; transportation-themed postcards to color; and a board with movable magnets to create "transportation" poetry.

Adult activities include viewing display panels with transportation facts and photos; taking a transportation trivia quiz; and collecting promotional items such as fans, historical postcards, coasters, work zone safety pencils, "Send Help" banners, and state highway maps.

Mn/DOT volunteers staffing the booth will wear 25th anniversary T-shirts and "Moving Minnesota" caps to help draw attention to the department’s accomplishments, Stein said.

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The NorthStar Commuter Coach is the first mass transit system managed by Mn/DOT.

Beginning in October, commuters between Elk River and downtown Minneapolis will be able to travel to work in luxury, coach-style buses.

Not only will the NorthStar Commuter Coach be the first commuter coach service to extend beyond the Twin Cities Metro area, it is the first mass transit system managed by Mn/DOT, according to John Tocho, project manager.

Plush accommodations

The NorthStar Commuter Coach features comfortable, spacious seating with head and foot rests, overhead reading lights and storage compartments. Each bus will accommodate 57 seated passengers. And, as part of Mn/DOT’s commitment to accessibility, all NorthStar coaches are wheelchair accessible, Tocho said.

Route and schedule

The NorthStar Commuter Coach will stop at park-and-ride lots in Elk River and at the Riverdale shopping development in Coon Rapids. Coaches will travel to and from the Fifth Street garage transit hub in downtown Minneapolis during peak hours. The 30-mile trip is expected to take about one hour.

Service

The service will run:

• Monday through Friday, except on major holidays

• Eight trips leaving for Minneapolis between 5:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.

• Eight trips from Minneapolis between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The bigger picture

The NorthStar Commuter Coach will begin service between Elk River and downtown Minneapolis in October.

The NorthStar Commuter Coach is part of Mn/DOT’s Moving Minnesota plan, said Mary McFarland, Communications and Public Relations. Buses will operate in the NorthStar corridor, an 80-mile transportation passage along Minnesota Hwy 10 between downtown Minneapolis and St. Cloud. The NorthStar corridor is one of seven interregional corridors that tie the state together by connecting people with jobs, distributors with manufacturers, shoppers with retailers and tourists with recreational opportunities, McFarland said. The NorthStar corridor is the fastest growing corridor in Minnesota and one of the fastest growing corridors in the U.S., she added.

Future plans

The commuter coaches provide an alternative to driving alone, Tocho said. The service will help reduce pollution and traffic congestion along the heavily traveled stretch, which carries an average of 52,000 vehicles per day. The commuter buses are one form of a multi-modal transportation plan for the corridor. Future plans call for expanded and improved roads, an exclusive urban busway and commuter rail, McFarland said.

By Pat Lund

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An ongoing diversity event at Central Office is the Taste of Europe series, which featured a Finnish cultural celebration on Aug. 16. The event was sponsored by the diversity committees for Management Operations Group, Program Support Group and Modal Operations Division, and Metro Division. Photo by Tim Windorski

Two individuals and three groups—42 people in total—are recipients of this year’s diversity achievement awards, announced Mike Garza, EEO Contract Management director. The awards will be presented Sept. 11 at the Commissioner’s Forum.

In addition, Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg will recognize recipients during his scheduled visits to the districts this fall as part of Mn/DOT’s 25th anniversary celebration.

"Based on the nominations the Diversity Committee received, there are a number of significant efforts to achieve diversity that are presently being made throughout Mn/DOT," Garza said. "Diversity and diverse representation throughout Mn/DOT is high on the department's radar screen."

Cliff Moening, District 2 southeast subarea supervisor, is one of 42 employees who will be recognized in September for promoting workforce diversity. Photo by Robbie Gross

Recognized for individual efforts are Cliff Moening, District 2, for continual workforce diversity commitment; and Felisa Flowers, Metro Division, for serving as Metro’s diversity champion.

Groups recognized are:

• Northwest District Diversity Team, for sponsoring Disability Awareness Day in February 2001;

• Management Operations Group Diversity Committee, for organizing diversity events throughout the year such as Camp Mn/DOT in Central Office; American Indian, Chinese and Filipino dancers and displays; Black History month display and singers; Hispanic mariachi music and display; Latin Dance presentation and classes, and the Taste of Europe series; and

• District 7’s Management Information Systems group, for mentoring Seeds students who use English as a second language.

To view a complete list of diversity award recipients, click here. For more information, contact Mike Garza or Keith Baker, 651/297-1376.

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Copies of the updated Get Around Guide are available from a number of sources, including travel information centers, Mn/DOT offices, chambers of commerce and Mn/DOT’s booth at the Minnesota State Fair.

Motorists planning to travel during Minnesota’s late summer and fall seasons will be better prepared if they bring along the fall edition of Mn/DOT’s "Get Around Guide" to help them reach their destinations with a minimal amount of fuss and frustration.

The guide alerts drivers to the highway projects and related conditions that may exist in highway work zones. Conditions may include lane closures, two-way traffic on divided highways and detours. Updates to the guide issued this spring show road improvements that have been completed.

The guide also encourages motorists to remain free of distractions, keep their hands free for quick reaction times and stay especially alert in highway work zones.

"We want motorists to use extra caution in highway work zones for their own safety as well as that of highway workers," said Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg.

He urges motorists to plan their trips, use alternate routes when possible, observe speed limits and watch for workers, equipment and traffic control signals and devices in work zones.

Motorists may obtain copies of the guide at state travel information centers, Mn/DOT offices, chambers of commerce, the Mn/DOT booth at the Minnesota State Fair and at some service stations. The guide is free.

In addition to project information, the guide also contains a list of toll-free information numbers in the Twin Cities Metro area and in Greater Minnesota.

Road condition information is also available on Mn/DOT’s Web site or by calling 800/542-0220 for recorded information.

By Craig Wilkins

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Graffiti spray-painted on bridges, overpasses and other structures cost Mn/DOT more than $150,000 yearly to remove. Although concentrated in the Twin Cities region, graffiti outbreaks also occur regularly in Duluth and Rochester, said Bruce Andersen, a Metro Division bridge supervisor.

Removing graffiti in the Twin Cities last year cost $82,000—a $10,000 increase from the previous year.

Mn/DOT’s policy, he said, is to remove the graffiti within a day to discourage graffiti vandals or "taggers" from hitting the same spots again.

In some places such as the I-94/Hwy 280 overpasses in St. Paul, Mn/DOT has installed fencing to block taggers’ access to the structures.

Andersen serves on task forces in Minneapolis and St. Paul that deal with the issue of graffiti vandalism.

A recent issue of the "Mn/DOT Tipster," the department’s invitation to the news media to examine certain transportation-related issues, resulted in several news reports on highway-related graffiti problems.

By Craig Wilkins

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A ship bearing a 500-ton tunnel-boring machine steamed into Duluth harbor Aug. 17 under stormy skies and watchful eyes. The machine was transported to the Twin Cities Aug. 20-21 via low-boy trucks traveling in tandem. Photo by Maureen Talarico

Steaming through a thunderstorm, the cargo ship bearing the 500-ton "mechanical worm" that will chew two mile-long tunnels beneath the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport for light rail arrived in Duluth Friday night as scheduled, reports Maureen Talarico, District 1 public affairs coordinator.

The tunnel-boring machine, whose last job was a subway project in Singapore, was lifted from the ship by cranes onto two low-boy trucks belonging to Kirscher Transport of Virginia, Mn. The trucks, traveling side-by-side, will make two trips to transport the largest pieces of the machine to the Twin Cities.

The largest part arrived in the Twin Cities Tuesday, with the second piece expected to arrive today. The remaining pieces of the machine are scheduled to arrive at the construction site within the next couple of weeks.

The machine will take about a month to reassemble with drilling expected to begin in October.

For more photos, see the Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc. Web site. Click here to view the light rail transit Web site.

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