Black-eyed Susans are part of a parade of wildflowers along Hwy 56 in Mower County. This 26-mile corridor, known as the Shooting Star Wildflower Route and Scenic Byway, became the state’s first wildflower route in 1994. Photo by David Larson

Mn/DOT’s contributions to livable communities, scenic byways and environmental research recently earned three Federal Highway Administration Awards for Environmental Excellence.

“These prestigious awards demonstrate how government agencies, local businesses and private citizens can work together to support a healthy natural environment that benefits everyone,” said Vincent F. Schimmoller, FHWA deputy executive director, in announcing the awards.

Awards were presented in Washington, D.C. April 20 at an Earth Day ceremony recognizing public-private partnership efforts that enhance and protect the environment. Minnesota was one of only two honorees to win three FHWA awards; New York also won three awards. A total of 18 awards were presented.

Locally, Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg, Office of Environmental Services staff and district employees participated April 26 in ceremonies held in the Bemidji and Rochester districts to celebrate the awards with the people who earned them.

The Highway 197 Environmental Assessment Process in the greater Bemidji area received an award for Excellence in Livable Communities as an example of how tribal representatives, local environmental partners and consultants worked cooperatively with Mn/DOT. This effort will lead to reconstruction of a 1.5-mile section of highway that features safer pedestrian crossings, a shoreline protection plan, brightly colored city entrance monuments and the conversion of an historic vehicle bridge to bike, pedestrian and snowmobile use.

In 1981 a population of the prairie Shooting Star wildflower was found in the Hwy 56 right of way—the only known location for this species in Minnesota. Photo by David Larson

The Shooting Star Wildflower Route and Scenic Byway along Highway 56 in Mower County won an Excellence in Scenic Byways Award for restoring remnants of native prairie land and protecting native vegetation. Mn/DOT, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and Prairie Visions, an advocacy group for the region’s prairie heritage, were recognized for working together to adapt management practices that protect the Prairie Shooting Star and enhance prairie vegetation. 

The CD-ROM Expert System for Selection of Roadside Landscape Plants received an Excellence in Environmental Research Award. Developed by Mn/DOT and EnvironMentor Systems, this landscape design tool can identify the right plant for a specific location and match it to the site’s function. More than 1,600 CDs for this program are in use across Minnesota, enabling planners to select the most appropriate plants for challenging roadside landscaping conditions. 

By Jeanne Aamodt

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With 19 days to go before the May 21 adjournment of the Minnesota Legislature, Mn/DOT is still waiting for the outcome of key legislation affecting transportation.

In the closing days of the session, bills can change significantly as they make their way through the conference committee process to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions. To keep updated about legislative issues affecting Mn/DOT, contact Joe Hudak at 651/297-5149, click on Mn/DOT’s weekly legislative summary or check out its Government Relations Web site. See also the Minnesota Legislature Web page for the status of legislation.

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As though floods weren’t enough, the Rochester District responded Tuesday to a tornado at Glenville near Albert Lea and a lightning strike that closed the Marion Rest Area on I-90 east of Rochester.

A district maintenance crew set up barricades to detour part of Hwy 65 following a tornado that caused substantial damage in the area. Brian Jergenson, public affairs coordinator, said the detour was established primarily to keep gawkers out of the stricken area and to allow recovery crews to do their work unimpeded by traffic. The detour was expected to reopen late this afternoon.

The lightning strike damaged the rest area’s mechanical systems that operate the well, phones and lights. Mn/DOT crews are working to repair the damage. Jergenson said it is not known how long the rest area will be closed. No injuries were reported.

The storm temporarily drew attention away from the effects of flooding in the Rochester District. District officials are preparing bids for repairs to the shoulder of Hwy 61 north of Lake City damaged by flooding from Lake Pepin.

Wave action washed out shoulders on a one-fourth mile section of the highway. Estimated cost for repairs is $100,000.

Duluth crews worked around-the-clock to clear fallen trees and other debris from highways when the area was hit by a severe ice storm on April 22-23. Photo by Bill Haug

Last week, the Duluth District dealt with the effects of an ice storm that toppled trees onto highways and knocked out power over a wide area. Duluth crews worked through the weekend to clear fallen trees and other debris from highways.

Elsewhere in Mn/DOT, districts are preparing their damage reports from the flooding. Bob Vasek, operations support engineer, Maintenance, said preliminary estimates indicate state highways suffered about $2 million in damage from the spring floods. Most of the damage, he said, stemmed from shoulder washouts, culvert washouts and slope failures. No major damage was reported to bridges, he said, but some may have experienced scour damage from debris carried by fast-moving flood currents.

Mn/DOT also expended about $250,000 in aid to local government units, he said.

Vasek adds that Mn/DOT will be reimbursed by the Federal Highway Administration for road damage and by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance rendered to local governments.

By Craig Wilkins

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The 2001-2002 state highway map includes 11,000 miles of state highways and 950 miles of interstate roads.

The 2001-2002 Minnesota Official Highway Maps are off the presses, and will begin making their way into the hands of eager residents and visitors to Minnesota. Although the maps’ appeal is timeless, what they display and how they are produced has changed quite a bit over the years, according to Denny Brott, supervisor, Geographic Information and Mapping Unit.

Population and road changes have been dramatic within the last 50 years alone. For example, the 1951 state map showed no interstate highways, while today’s map includes 950 miles of interstate roads (and about 11,000 miles of state highways). Even compared to the 1999-2000 map, today’s map shows several key additions:

§         Highway 610 in Brooklyn Center (northwestern Twin Cities Metro area)

§         Highway 10 in Blaine (northern Twin Cities Metro area)

§         Highway 371 bypass near Brainerd (east central Minnesota)

Population changes are no less dramatic. For example, in 1951 St. Cloud had 28,322 residents. Today, it has more than 60,000 residents.

As significant as these changes are, they pale in comparison to changes in the technology that produces the maps. As recently as 1991, the maps were prepared entirely by hand, which included over 200 pin registered overlays for the 27 individual map components. Gradually, the computer took over more and more tasks. Now (and for the last three map publications), the map is completely computer-generated.

About 850,000 maps have been printed so far, Brott said. Three state agencies partner to produce the maps: the Department of Administration, which prints the map; Mn/DOT, which provides the cartography; and the Office of Tourism, which provides tourist promotion material and distributes most of the maps.

Brott said that residents may receive one free map by stopping by:

§         One of Minnesota’s 13 travel information centers

§         Any Mn/DOT district office

§         The Map Sales office in the Transportation Building in St. Paul

§         Minnesota’s Bookstore near the State Capitol building

The Department of Administration, which runs Minnesota’s Bookstore, also handles bulk sales to private map distribution vendors for resale at various commercial outlets.

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Nomination forms for quality awards have been sent to all district engineers and office directors, according to Phyllis Dahl, employee development specialist, Office of Human Resources.

The deadline for nominations is June 1. Winning teams will be invited to the Bill Yoerg Quality Recognition Day on Sept. 20 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.

Bill Yoerg Quality Recognition Day acknowledges excellence achieved by Mn/DOT teams. Named after the late Bill Yoerg, a Mn/DOT manager and ardent quality improvement champion, this event has been held twice annually since 1996. During that time, numerous Mn/DOT employees have received recognition for quality improvement efforts that resulted in time and monetary savings for the department.

Beginning in September, this event will be held yearly rather than semi-annually, Dahl noted. Additionally, she said that new criteria will be used to award points in the categories of team purpose, team process and business results. The new criteria were developed to focus on quality methods and effective team processes, she said.

Questions may be directed to Phyllis Dahl, 651/296-4001.

By Sue Stein

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Many Mn/DOT employees have experienced this scenario: someone asks you about a project that’s been in the news, and wants to know why didn’t Mn/DOT consider “Idea X”—and you don’t know the answer because it’s “not your project.”

This week’s Question of the Week comes from an employee who wants to know how to answer someone’s question about the I-35W commons area with Hwy 62 along the Minneapolis/Richfield border in the Twin Cities area.

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