A spray truck applies one of eight experimental treatments to extend asphalt pavement life on a section of Hwy 251 near Albert Lea. Photo by Tom Johnson

More than 70 representatives of state and provincial transportation agencies, consulting firms, contractors and suppliers met in the Twin Cities on Aug. 19-22 to share ideas and observe maintenance practices that can extend pavement life.

One participant, Clayton Linebarger of the Montana DOT, said he welcomed the workshop to explore ways to increase pavement life in his state, which has 29,000 lane miles of highway in a climate known for temperature extremes.

"We’ve got a 131 maintenance sections and we use crack sealing extensively, but anything I can learn can help," Linebarger said.

Members of the Midwestern Pavement Preservation Partnership met in Bloomington. Following the meeting sessions, participants in a subsequent workshop on pavement sealers and rejuvenators traveled to Albert Lea to view application of eight experimental pavement treatments on a section of Hwy 251.

Done in cooperation with the Arizona, California, Alabama, Michigan and Minnesota DOTs, the experiment uses techniques such as chip seals and pavement rejuvenators to lengthen pavement life. The experiment is being conducted in those states to evaluate them in various climatic conditions.

Roger Olson, research operations engineer, Materials and Road Research said the pavement rejuvenators uses compounds that restore the pliability of asphalt pavement, partly by blocking the effects of ultraviolet light on the pavement material, to extend its service life.

Sealants protect the surface against intrusion by air and water; rejuvenators penetrate the pavement to enhance the properties of the asphalt binder in the existing pavement.

Researchers will observe the test sections for five years to determine their effectiveness.

The Federal Highway Administration, the Foundation for Pavement Preservation and Mn/DOT sponsored the meeting of the pavement partnership meeting and the pavement preservation workshop sessions.

By Craig Wilkins

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Bemidji/District 2 employees Curt Larson and Ken Larson survey flood damage suffered by Hwy 11 near Baudette. Flooding this year caused more than $2 million in damage, including about $1.7 million in Bemidji/District 2. Photo by Stephen Frisco

Heavy rains in early summer caused flood damage of more than $2 million in Districts 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8. Bemidji/District 2 sustained the greatest damage at nearly $1.7 million.

Floodwaters from swollen creeks and rivers forced dozens of road closures throughout the state, mainly in northern and northwestern Minnesota.

"We're still working on the damage and will be lucky to finish everything before winter hits," says Dave Dalager, field maintenance superintendent for Bemidji/District 2.

During the floods, he said, crews worked 30 hours straight to keep rising waters from inundating the city of Ada. Private contractors and workers from Ada and Norman County joined Mn/DOT crews in that successful effort.

Mn/DOT hired contractors through emergency orders to do the bigger jobs that need immediate attention. Mn/DOT crews handled slides and washouts and other jobs that didn’t affect the immediate road surface.

Dalager says that the bulk of damage in Bemidji/District 2 occurred on Hwy 11, the main east-west link that runs parallel to the Rainy River. The stretch between Baudette and North Junction was hit particularly hard, he said.

"Everything is open now, but it's not in the shape we'd like it to be," said Dalager, noting that there's still water in the roadside ditches.

Federal Highway Administration emergency funds cover some costs, but sites must sustain at least $5,000 in damage to qualify for aid. Mn/DOT pays for any improvements through its repair budget. FHWA funds will be deposited into the Trunk Highway Fund.

Dalager praised Mn/DOT people and communities in the region for pulling together and expressed thanks that no one was hurt during the flood recovery operations.

"We were lucky that there were no major injuries on roadways or among our crews," he said.

By Sue Stein

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Preparing for their shift at the fair, five Willmar/District 8 employees use the cut out version of a rail car at the exhibit for its intended purpose: framing portraits of fair visitors. The fair workers are (from left) Kelly Brunkhorst, Hutchinson; Betty Harrier, Willmar; Shelly Kothe, Willmar; Paul Jurek, Marshall, and Jim DeLeeuw, Willmar. Photo by Jim DeLeeuw

In addition to eating vast quantities of food on a stick, Minnesota State Fair visitors are stopping by Mn/DOT’s exhibit to a cast a ballot in the straw poll, choose their favorite color for road salt this winter and check out a brand new, high-tech snowplow.

Visitors to the booth on Judson Avenue also take the opportunity to play with their children in the kids’ shaded activity area, take a trivia quiz and visit with Mn/DOT employees staffing the exhibit.

Each year, an average of 84,000 people visit the fair booth, said Mary Meinert, Communications and Public Relations.

This year, she said, visitors have asked frequently about the Hiawatha light rail line, the proposed Northstar commuter rail line, highway project completions and a lot of traffic-related questions.

For the first time, the exhibit includes an area staffed by a human resources person to answer questions and offer assistance to those seeking employment with Mn/DOT.

Mn/DOT’s presence at the fair also includes the aviation exhibit, located east of the main exhibit on Judson Avenue, and to the display of a full-sized mock-up of a car that will be used on the Hiawatha light rail transit line when service begins in 2004. The LRT car is located on Lee Avenue between Underwood and Cooper streets.

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Mn/DOT employees are known for going the extra mile while doing their jobs. Two people recently sent letters highlighting these efforts.

Carol Morgan from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, sent Mn/DOT a letter expressing her gratitude for the excellent assistance she received from Highway Helper Julie Todora. On June 28, Todora pulled up to an overheated vehicle on Hwy 694. There she found Morgan and three other occupants in the car, all of whom had been sitting in the 95-degree heat for more than an hour.

She called AAA to tow Morgan’s car and drove the three other occupants to their hotel eight miles down the road because everyone could not fit into the tow truck. She then advised Morgan to have AAA drop off her car at a garage right near her hotel. Morgan credits Todora for coming to their rescue and applauds the Highway Helper program that Mn/DOT provides as an excellent service.

"Without it, we would have been stranded—or even worse--one of us could have become ill," said Morgan.

Mary Lundeen of Vadnais Heights also commended Mn/DOT workers for the work they are doing with the bridge repair on I-694. She commutes on the stretch of I-694 between I-35E and I-94 and realizes that these improvements will make a difference in safety and provide for better driving conditions.

"The men and women on the road crews aren’t appreciated by the public as they should be," Lundeen wrote.

By Shayla Cain

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