By Kent Barnard, Metro District public affairs coordinator

Commissioner Tom Sorel testified May 21 before the Minnesota Legislature’s Joint Committee to Investigate the Bridge Collapse after a law firm hired by the committee presented findings from its investigative report on the department’s policies and practices.

Sorel reminded the committee that the cause of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse remains unknown.

“The National Transportation Safety Board is the expert federal agency in this matter and they are conducting a thorough and objective investigation. The NTSB’s conclusions are due sometime near the end of this year,” he said.

“I want to assure this committee and the citizens of Minnesota that the bridges throughout our state are safe and sound. Mn/DOT’s inspection and maintenance of state bridges meets or exceeds federal guidelines and standards. Minnesota bridges consistently rank among the best in the nation,” he said.

The Legislature hired the law firm of Gray Plant Mooty in December 2007 to look into Mn/DOT’s internal processes, practices, structure and funding. As part of its inquiry, the firm interviewed 47 people, including Mn/DOT employees, consultants and past Mn/DOT commissioners and Minnesota governors. In addition, they reviewed thousands of documents Mn/DOT provided to them.  

Other points Sorel highlighted in his statement include:

• Mn/DOT’s commitment to the safety of Minnesota bridges is a top engineering and investment priority. Addressing the condition and safety needs of the state’s bridge system never has been - and never will be - subject to question because of budgetary concerns.  
• Mn/DOT has already embarked on actions to improve processes, policies and practices related to bridge design, maintenance and inspection. These efforts are in response to various Federal Highway Administration Technical Advisories, NTSB recommendations, the recent Legislative Auditor’s report and internal recommendations from our bridge professionals.  

To read the commissioner’s comments in full, go to Mn/DOT’s Web site at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/. Links to the report as well as a statement from the governor’s office are also available on that site.

By Craig Wilkins

The challenging winter of 2007-08 put a lot of things to the test, including the new plow that’s towed behind a snowplow.

The tow plow emerged from its first field trials with a reassuring level of success according to the people closest to it: snowplow operators and their supervisors.

The giant plow, 26 feet long, is like none other ever used by Mn/DOT.

When deployed, the plow swivels out on its own set of wheels behind the snowplow and enables one operator to clear two lanes of roadway.

Use of the tow plow was shared by the Metro District and the St. Cloud Maintenance Area.

Crews ran the plow on highways ranging from Hwy 25 near Monticello to four-lane sections of Interstate 94 and I-494 on the western side of the Metro District.

There were electrical problems with the trailer’s hitch at first, but once resolved, the tow plow exceeded many supporters’ expectations.

“The tow plow handled better than we expected,” said DeWayne Jones, a Metro District maintenance superintendent.

“And it worked well enough that we could cut the number of trucks clearing Interstates 94 and 494 with four snowplow trucks instead of six,” he said. “That reduced the number of plows exposed to traffic and helped us reduce fuel costs as well.”

The field test also required some mid-course adjustments, such as adding a video camera to eliminate blind spots and reduce the potential of vehicles’ approaching the tow plow undetected by plow operators.

Lighting was increased on the tow plow to improve its visibility to operators and motorists.

The tow plow is also equipped with a laser system to help operators see the tow plow’s precise location during storms and plowing operations.

Todd Sangren, sub-area supervisor at Monticello, said the plow performed well on two-lane, four-lane and interstate highways.

“We used it on Hwy 241, Hwy 25 and I-94,” Sangren said. “It’s a little cumbersome to turn, but otherwise it handled very well.”

Sangren said his operators were able to clear Hwy 25 in the downtown Monticello area which, in places, has left and right turn lanes and two through-lanes.

“We were able to clean out that section curb-to curb-in just two passes,” he said.

Dale Lusti, a transportation generalist at the Monticello truck station, said he used the plow on only a few roads, but was impressed by its performance.

“The tow plow works well, it handles better than we thought it would and it really moves a lot of snow,” he said.

Khani Sahebjam, a licensed professional engineer with nearly 25 years’ experience in the field of civil and structural engineering, was appointed Mn/DOT's deputy commissioner and chief engineer May 12.

He replaces Lisa Freese, who served as deputy commissioner since February 2007.

“Khani has outstanding credentials, both as an engineer and as a transportation leader,” said Commissioner Tom Sorel. “In his 18 years at Mn/DOT, he has gained extensive experience in the areas of program delivery, bridges and structures, state aid and research administration.

“In addition, he has developed excellent working relationships with our partners in both the private and public sectors, which will benefit Mn/DOT as we work to rebuild trust in our public transportation system,” Sorel said.

Sahebjam joined Mn/DOT in 1990. Most recently as the Metro District engineer, he oversaw the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of interstate and trunk highway systems in the eight-county Twin Cities metro area.

Sahebjam has held a number of leadership positions in Mn/DOT, including program delivery director for Metro District, where he was responsible for delivering transportation projects in the Twin Cities area; assistant state bridge engineer, where he was responsible for planning and programming trunk highway bridge projects; and program delivery engineer in State Aid, where he was responsible for the local bridge replacement program and the distribution of state bonds to local agencies for funding these projects.

Prior to joining Mn/DOT, Sahebjam worked in the private sector as a design engineer.

Sahebjam has both a Master of Science in structural engineering and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from South Dakota State University.

A member of the National and Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers, he received the MSPE Young Engineer of the Year Award in 1994.  

Sue Mulvihill, Metro District program delivery director, will serve as acting Metro District engineer until a permanent replacement for Sahebjam is named.

Karin van Dyck, Human Resources, has been appointed as Mn/DOT’s labor relations manager.

She succeeds Rich Peterson, who retired.

Van Dyck joined Mn/DOT in 2006 and served as a senior labor relations specialist with the office before accepting her new post.  

Before joining the department, van Dyck held positions with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Metropolitan State University in 1998.

Van Dyck’s office is on the fifth floor of the Transportation Building in St. Paul. She may be reached at 651/366-3385 and by e-mail.