Cliff Schulz, a transportation generalist at Crookston, peers into a washout on Hwy 9 near Crookston. Photo by Dave Dalager

Floodwaters are finally receding in the areas of northwestern Minnesota hit by this year’s spring floods.

They leave behind widespread effects, including damaged pavement, washed out highway shoulders and broken culverts on the region’s highway system.

Many bridges suffered damage from being hit by debris caused by strong and fast-moving currents. The flood-swollen currents in the Red River of the North and other streams also caused extensive damage to bridge approaches in several locations.  

While this year’s flooding in the Red River Valley was far less devastating than those of 1997, it left major damage in its wake.

The flooding ended sooner in the parts of District 4 that border the Red River than in District 2. Recovery work, however, is still in progress in District 4.

Dennis Redig, maintenance superintendent at Detroit Lakes, said crews are still rebuilding a poorly drained section of Hwy 108 near Pelican Rapids. Rain and snow melt pooled in the area, he said, and water continues to seep into the area.

“We’re in the process of letting a contract to furnish and haul riprap (small rocks) to widen the built-up area,” he said. “We may not be able to complete the project until we see how high the water rises.”

Redig said the district continues to monitor a similar situation on Hwy 34 near Dunvilla. The district plans to repave that section this summer if conditions allow.

The district, he said, has spent about $240,000 in flood-related work.

The flooding also lasted longer than originally predicted, inflicting more damage.

Maintenance crews from District 4 work to stay ahead of waters seeping into a section of Hwy 108 near Pelican Rapids. Photo by Dennis Redig

In District 2, sections of some highways in the state’s northwestern corner remain closed. They include:

• Hwy 11 at the Robbin Bridge into North Dakota
• Hwy. 75 at Noyes into Canada
• Hwy 175 west of Kittson County Road 16 to the North Dakota border crossing
• Hwy 220 from Hwy 1 east of Oslo north to Hwy 11
• Hwy 317 from its junction with Hwy. 220 into North Dakota

Dave Dalager, maintenance superintendent at Crookston, said the flooding took a heavy toll in its effects on district staff and caused an estimated $250,000 in damages.

“There’s still a lot of highway covered by water,” he said April 24. “And a lot of that water over Hwy 220 and Hwy 175 had whitecaps on it this morning.”

Winds gusting as high as 35 mph caused the strong wave action, Dalager said. The waves will cause additional damage to those highways, especially to shoulders and in-slopes, he said.

“The waves are lapping against the highway shoulders and the water is very murky which indicates a lot of soil and other debris in the water,” he said.

The district, he said, has paved many of its highways’ shoulders and in-slopes to a width of three or four feet to reduce potential damage from flooding.

High winds churned floodwaters into whitecaps, further damaging roadways and shoulders such as Hwy 175 in District 2. Photo by Dave Dalager

Dalager said Hwy 75, which is closed at the international border by a flood dike, will open this week, according to Canadian authorities.

He predicted that Hwy 175 will open next week but cautioned that other roads, especially Hwy 220, will take longer because of heavy debris accumulation. Much of the debris, he said, stems from flood-born chunks of ice crashing into trees and tearing off their limbs.

Dealing with floods, Dalager said, requires patience and persistence.

“Our people in the field have done their usual fine job; now we have to wait for the waters to recede and work with the situation,” he said.

By Craig Wilkins

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This backhoe caused extensive damage to the Xerxes Avenue bridge over Interstate 494 in Bloomington. Photo by Doug Theis

Bridges have been hit many times by trucks or equipment they were towing. In 2004, for example, a trailer carrying a backhoe too high damaged a Hwy 95 bridge over Hwy 169 near Princeton.  

But that mishap was relatively minor compared with the damage dealt to the Xerxes Avenue bridge over Interstate 494 in Bloomington April 13.

In the I-494 incident, the trailer’s springs compressed after the backhoe’s boom struck the fascia girder, pulling the backhoe under the full width of the bridge, said Mark Pribula, the Metro District’s bridge maintenance engineer.

As it moved under the bridge, the backhoe’s boom struck another girder beam, punched a three by three-foot hole through the bridge deck, and then hit another beam.

No one was hurt in the midday incident, Pribula said.

State Patrol officers, area police departments plus Metro District’s maintenance and bridge crews arrived quickly to manage traffic, remove debris and assess the extent of damage, he said.

Ron Konder (left) and Joe Bailey, Cedar Ave. truck station in the Metro District, fill a highway barrier with water following the incident when a backhoe damaged the beams and deck of the Xerxes Ave Bridge. Photo by David Gonzalez

The southbound lanes of the Xerxes Avenue bridge remain closed; the bridge now carries two-way traffic on its northbound lanes.

The incident created an extensive—and expensive—repair list. Pribula estimates repair costs will range from $500,000 to $750,000.

Paul Kivisto, metro region bridge engineer with the Bridge Office, said the work includes repairing a 1,200 square foot section of the deck, replacing three 40-foot-long sections of damaged steel beams and redecking the damaged part of the deck with concrete.

Metro expects to start repairs when a contractor is selected and new beams fabricated. Pribula estimates it will take from four to eight weeks before work would start.

Night-time lane and shoulder closings will be in effect during deck removal and beam installation. Two lanes and the shoulder of a two-mile section of the freeway will be closed during those operations.

Pribula said Metro District officials are meeting with the hauler’s insurer to determine their responsibility for damages caused by the incident.

Gary Peterson, assistant state bridge engineer, said the initial response to the incident reflects well on law enforcement officers, emergency service providers and Mn/DOT’s employees.

“In a little more than three hours, bridge maintenance workers and maintenance crews from the Cedar Avenue truck station and other stations controlled the area, set up detours and got traffic moving again,” he said. “Their work demonstrates the expertise and value that they and other support function provide for Mn/DOT.”

By Craig Wilkins

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Mn/DOT will honor employees who lost their lives or were injured on the job during the observance of Workers Memorial Day April 28. During the past five years, Minnesota experienced 57 fatalities and 4,126 crashes involving workers and citizens in work zones. Design by Paula Gustafson

Mn/DOT will honor employees who lost their lives or were injured on the job during the observance of Workers Memorial Day April 28.

Since 1960, 29 employees died in the line of duty.

Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau will meet with employees at the Metro District’s headquarters at the Waters Edge Building. Special programs will also be held by the Bemidji, Mankato and Rochester districts.

Employees throughout the department will hear a recorded message from Molnau and observe a moment of silence.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued a proclamation that recognizes April 28, 2006 as Workers Memorial Day. It honors the sacrifices made by Mn/DOT employees, contractors’ employees and others while building and maintaining the state’s highway system.

Bemidji/District 2 will dedicate plaques at Bemidji and Crookston to honor three district employees killed on the job.

Two employees who were injured on the job will speak during observances at Owatonna and Rochester in District 6. Other speakers will include officials from Mn/DOT, the Department of Public Safety and AFSCME. Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede will speak at the observance at the district’s headquarters.

Mankato/District 7 employees will join construction workers at the site of a new power plant in Mankato for a remembrance ceremony.

During the past five years, Minnesota experienced 57 fatalities and 4,126 crashes involving workers and citizens in work zones, according to the governor’s proclamation.

Workers Memorial Day was started in 1989 by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the AFL-CIO.

Molnau said the observance also serves to remind motorists of their responsibility to drive with extra caution in highway work zones and wherever people are working to improve the state’s transportation system.

“We all owe it to them to focus fully on our driving while they’re working to make life safer and more convenient for us,” she said.

By Craig Wilkins

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This illustration depicts the west building elevation of the future combination rest area and welcome center in Cass Lake in District 2. The new center is scheduled to open in 2007.

The Mn/DOT rest area in Cass Lake in District 2 closed April 24 in preparation for demolition and reconstruction as a combination rest area and welcome center. The new center is scheduled to open in 2007.

The site is on the Hwy 2 Great River Road Scenic Byway, within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation and at the gateway to the Chippewa National Forest.

“The new dual-purpose facility will be a wonderful enhancement to the area,” said Karen Bedeau, Bemidji/District 2 public affairs coordinator. “As a rest stop, it will allow visitors to take a break and enjoy the beauty of the lake. As a welcome center, it will help support local tourism and the region’s economic vitality.”

Construction of the facility was made possible through a partnership with the City of Cass Lake that helped secure $596,000 of federal appropriation funds and $96,000 of federal scenic byways funds for the facility. The city plans to partner with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the USDA Forest Service, Chippewa National Forest, Pike Bay Township, Miracle Group and the Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce to operate the welcome center.

“This project is a great example of how partnerships can allow Mn/DOT to effectively provide a higher level of service to motorists through cooperative and cost-sharing efforts,” said Rob Williams, Mn/DOT’s rest area program manager.

Although rest area facilities will be closed during reconstruction, the public still will have access to the adjacent truck and car parking lots and boat landing.

For more information about the new Cass Lake rest area and welcome center, contact Williams at 651/282-2169. Information about this and other Mn/DOT rest areas is also at www.dot.state.mn.us/restareas/.

By Donna Lindberg

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Lisa Freese, Metro District’s south area manager, holds the 2006 “Woman of the Year" award she received from Women in Transportation Studies on April 13. Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau, right, presented the award to Freese. Photo courtesy of WSB & Associates, Inc.

Those who know Lisa Freese describe her as a hard worker, a go-getter, a straight shooter and knowledgeable as anyone in the business. These and other attributes made Freese a shoo-in for being chosen the 2006 “Woman of the Year” by the Women in Transportation Studies organization.

Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau presented her with the award on April 13.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition,” Molnau said. “She is looked on as a leader in transportation by men and women alike.

In her role as Metro District’s south area manager, Freese has had a key leadership role on projects such as the $238-million Hwy 212 design-build project, and the Hwy 41 river crossing environmental impact statement, which involves studying the need and route locations for a new Minnesota River floodplain crossing and Hwy 169 connection to the new Hwy 212.

Freese helped advance these and other projects within tight delivery schedules and using extensive local collaboration.

“Lisa’s solid foundation in local government has helped Mn/DOT resolve land use development and access management issues with local agencies,” Molnau said. “Working with local representatives sometimes takes a special person and Lisa is that.”

Nancy Daubenberger, Metro District’s south area engineer, said that Freese has the unique ability to persevere through long, grueling meetings and open houses. “She can take the heat at public meetings where the only item on the agenda seems to be ‘bash Mn/DOT!’"

Freese is the only area manager with an all-female team.

“While Lisa is constantly looking ahead to what's next, she always makes time to support her staff and celebrate their accomplishments,” Daubenberger said. “She motivates them and helps them pursue opportunities that will advance their careers.”

Kevin Walker, Metro District public affairs coordinator, added, “Lisa is always ready to go out for a burger after night meetings and spend time with her staff. Lisa is a great leader who leads by example and is always teaching me more about transportation.”

Freese has served as an official mentor through Mn/DOT’s mentoring program and the Scott County program for emerging leaders.

“Lisa is a woman who has helped advance the reputation and credibility of women and minorities at Mn/DOT and in the transportation field,” Molnau said.

“Lisa is also just a great person,” said Daubenberger. “For as busy as she is, she still manages to find time to help her sons with homework, be a devoted hockey mom, and get together with friends to scrap book.”

By Donna Lindberg

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Mn/DOT and two of its partners were presented with the Center for Transportation Studies Research Partnership Award at the CTS annual meeting and awards luncheon April 18.  

Mn/DOT’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the University of Minnesota’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and URS Corporation were recognized for the planning of the Metro Evacuation Traffic Management Plan. Although these were the primary partners, the planning involved more than 70 agencies and organizations, according to Sonia Morphew, HSEM director.

The award recognizes research projects within the CTS research program that result in significant impacts on transportation.

The Metro Evacuation Traffic Management Plan is a multi-jurisdictional strategic plan intended to complement single-jurisdiction evacuation plans currently in place within the Twin Cities metro area. The plan identifies possible scenarios and their impacts, available resources and actions needed, and primary evacuation routes within the Twin Cities area.

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Taillights trace a section of the reconstructed Hwy 52 corridor in Rochester. Photo courtesy of HDR

Six Mn/DOT concrete paving projects earned awards for excellence from the Minnesota Concrete Pavers Association.

The awards were judged on criteria that included pavement smoothness, appearance, level of project difficulty and whether they met designed strength and density levels.

The Metro District and Detroit Lakes/District 4 each earned two awards. Rochester/District 6 and Mankato/District 7 each received one award.

The Metro District was cited for rebuilding Hwy 55 (Hiawatha Avenue) from Interstate 94 to Hwy 62 (the Crosstown Highway) in Minneapolis.

The district also earned recognition for building support facilities such as rest areas, ramps and parking areas on I-35E between Hwy 13 and Shepard Road in St. Paul.

District 4 earned honors for rebuilding Hwy 27 and Hwy 29 in Alexandria and a concrete overlay on I-94 from the Grant County line south to Hwy 79 near Evansville.

The ROC 52 project (rebuilding an 11-mile section of Hwy 52 in Rochester) earned honors for District 6.

District 7 was cited for a concrete pavement restoration project on Hwy 59 from Worthington to Fulda.

The awards were presented during the association’s annual meeting March 16 in Duluth.

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