By Nick Carpenter

If you have ever traveled Hwy 169 between the Twin Cities and Mankato, then you are likely familiar with the city of St. Peter.

Nestled in the Minnesota River Valley bluffs, St. Peter boasts a quaint environment complete with old world charm and rich history. In fact, a large portion of downtown is a designated National Historic District.

One thing St. Peter lacks that many other notable antique towns possess is a true pedestrian-friendly main street. That is, until now.

Crews began work in early July on a $16.5-million, stimulus-funded project that aims to transform St. Peter’s main street, also known as Hwy 169 and Minnesota Avenue, into a safer corridor for pedestrians and motorists alike.

Planning for the project began in 2002, when a group of 40 representatives from agencies and communities along the Hwy 169 corridor formed to assist Mn/DOT in the development of a corridor management plan.

Through discussions, the group determined that the dual uses of the highway as an interregional corridor and as a main street through an historic central business district were potentially in conflict. In the last three years alone, more than 100 crashes occurred on Hwy 169 through St. Peter. As a result, the group identified a variety of issues pertaining to safety and infrastructure.

“The combination of through traffic, local traffic and pedestrians was posing safety problems and operational difficulties at certain intersections,” said Matt Rottermond, project manager. “The safety features of the current project should take care of many of these issues.”

As part of the project, crews will install pedestrian bumpouts and crosswalks at intersections and construct raised medians that will provide a refuge for pedestrians crossing the street.

In addition to various safety issues, the project addresses issues with the pavement and municipal utilities under Hwy 169.

“The city utilities under the highway are very old,” Rottermond said. “Crews will replace sanitary sewer and water mains and improve the current storm sewer.”

A District 7 first

The reconstruction of Hwy 169 through St. Peter is District 7’s first project using design-build, which is a contracting process that brings designers and contractors together early in the detail design portion of a project.

Instead of producing complete construction plans for a contractor to bid on, Mn/DOT and the city of St. Peter provided the preliminary design and project requirements to potential design-build teams, which were composed of a contractor and a design consultant. The teams then proposed an approach to accomplishing the design and construction within the constraints provided.

“Our close partnership with the city was key in our ability to move this complex project forward,” said Rottermond. “Thanks to St. Peter and the stimulus funding, we are able to complete this project at one time instead of in three or more seasons.”

The team with the best-value proposal, Shafer Contracting, Co., Inc., won the contract and is now responsible for completing the design on certain portions of the road while construction is occurring on other portions. The synchronized approach will ultimately allow for the project to be completed at a more time-efficient pace, which is welcoming news to local businesses.

"As with any major construction project, this one will cause some disruption,” said Rottermond. “The detour we have set up is working great, but I think it is in everyone’s best interest to get in, get all the work done and get out as quickly as possible.” 

In addition, District 7 created an oversight committee to work with the design-build team and make sure that all previously identified standards are being met.

When completed in spring 2010, the reconstructed Hwy 169 is expected to have a lasting effect on the community.

“I think this project will benefit the city of St. Peter greatly,” said Rottermond. “This project will definitely beautify the entire downtown and hopefully make the city even more of a destination.”

For additional information on the St. Peter design-build project, visit http://www.dot.state.mn.us/d7/projects/169stpeter/index.html.

By Chris Krueger
                                                                       
A recent customer satisfaction survey shows that 91 percent of respondents are satisfied with their experience using the Interstate 394 MnPASS Express Lanes.

In addition, nearly 73 percent of respondents were either supportive or extremely supportive of the soon-to-open I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes that will connect southern communities with downtown Minneapolis beginning this fall. 

“MnPASS Express Lanes offer motorists a fast, safe and reliable commute,” said Nick Thompson, director of the Office of Policy Analysis, Research and Innovation. “These survey results confirm what we have been hearing from motorists over the years about their satisfaction with MnPASS.”

Up to 150,000 vehicles a day drive on some portion of the 11 miles of I-394 roadway that runs from downtown Minneapolis to the western suburbs in Hennepin County. Built in 1992, the I-394 Express Lanes have two segments: a reversible section three miles long and a diamond lane section separated from general traffic by a “skip stripe” that is eight miles long.

Slated to open Sept. 30, the new I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes will include two segments: from Hwy 13 in Burnsville to I-494 and from I-494 to downtown Minneapolis.

On the segment from I-494 to downtown, transit vehicles, carpools and MnPASS customers will be able to drive on a converted shoulder lane north of 42nd Street during certain times when traffic is congested. Electronic signs will alert drivers to whether the shoulder is open or closed.

The purpose of the Mn/DOT customer satisfaction survey was to gain a better understanding of MnPASS account holders’ overall attitudes, gauge how they value the lanes and understand usage patterns and overall satisfaction with the lanes and level of customer service motorists are receiving. 

The 35-question online survey targeted current MnPASS customers, 70 percent of whom have held an account for more than three years. Five-hundred customers responded and the cumulative results showed that MnPASS account holders appreciate the numerous benefits the Express Lanes offer.
For more information on MnPASS, visit http://www.mnpass.org/.

By Lisa Yang

Recent improvements to the Web-based highway right-of-way mapping application will enable users to search, view, download and print right-of-way plats and railroad right-of-way maps with greater ease.

“We get regular requests for right-of-way map information,” said Jay Krafthefer, right of way mapping supervisor. “This is a way for folks to get the information through self-service and it will save them time and save Mn/DOT time.”

The map application is based on a geographic information system that originally contained only highway right-of-way maps and allowed users to do a spatial search of the statewide map and graphically select and view rights of way.

In the coming months, many of the most recent right-of-way maps, railroad station maps and a digital coverage of abandoned railroads showing their location will be added to those already available.

“The-right-of-way plats are not the official recorded version found at the local county courthouse or government center, but can offer some convenience for basic reference needs,” said Krafthefer. “The railroad maps are mostly historical in nature and depict various features dating from about 1918 through 1974.”

A data layer featuring highway mile posts, along with enhanced map search capabilities, have also been added.

The improved application uses Mn/DOT’s BaseMap as a platform, which is another Web-based application that shows statewide maps of all public roads in Minnesota.

“Anyone interested in mapping in Minnesota can use these applications,” Krafthefer said. “With a few clicks of the mouse, users can see or retrieve a map of the area they want.”

To use the highway right-of-way mapping application, visit http://www.dot.state.mn.us/maps/gisweb/row. 

Chris Roy will become the new director of the Office of Aeronautics, effective Aug. 17. He succeeds Gary Workman, who retired on July 7.

Roy began working for Mn/DOT eight years ago. He has experience managing a variety of projects and programs, including involvement with the new Hwy 52 Lafayette Bridge, Interstate 494 and a new runway at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Most recently, Roy served as the Metro District's north area manager. Prior to that, he worked as an engineer and project manager for the west metro area. Roy also served as supervisor of the Central Office Land Management's Project Coordination and Finance unit.

Roy has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in infrastructure systems engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Roy’s office will be located in the Aeronautics Building. His phone number will be 651-234-7210.

While the start of the next legislative session in February may seem a long way off, planning for Mn/DOT’s 2010 legislative package is already underway. 

Proposals for legislative changes should be turned in to the appropriate office’s division director by Aug. 10. Division directors will have until Aug. 14, to forward approved proposals to the Office of Government Affairs.

“It is imperative that we begin reviewing the legislative initiatives early,” said Erik Rudeen, legislative liaison. “Time will also be used to refine proposals and draft legislation.” 

For a detailed timeline of 2010 legislative session initiatives, as well as the required form to submit proposals, visit http://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/governmentaffairs/legislative2010/.

You may know the feeling. You work really hard to clean out your GroupWise account and are finally down under the 500 MB limit, then….BAM! A well-meaning co-worker sends you a flyer about their neighborhood garage sale or an announcement for a retirement luncheon, leaving you over the limit and unable to send e-mail until you delete more e-mail.

The Employee Bulletin Board provides an alternative to sending mass e-mails about retirements, for sale items, health and wellness events and other items of interest to large groups of employees.

The bulletin board was recently adjusted to allow employees to attach photos and other files to their posting.

Employees can post items to the board by going to http://ihub/bulletin_board/.

By Bob Filipczak

It would have been easy to dismiss the archaeologists working on Frank Florin’s team as just a bunch of guys with shovels. It would have been easy to minimize what they were doing—digging holes in the ground.

It didn’t take long to learn that nothing about this kind of archaeology is easy.

Mn/DOT hires teams of archaeologists on various projects before construction begins in order to determine whether the area is culturally sensitive. The teams make sure that future construction will not destroy Native American or early settler sites that are culturally significant.

In this case, Florin Cultural Resource Services was contracted to do an archaeological survey of the area around the Hwy 43 bridge in Winona, which is scheduled to be replaced in 2014.

“It’s important to complete the survey work and evaluation so that if eligible resources are found, we can take steps to try to avoid them while the project has some flexibility,” said Garneth Peterson, a historian with Mn/DOT’s Cultural Resources unit.

Worse than snakes?
We all know Indiana Jones had a problem with snakes, but then, he didn’t have to face poison ivy. The hollow near the river where Florin’s team was digging was not just infested with poison ivy, it was the dominant life form in the area. It grew knee-high, waist-high, and in many cases higher than the archaeologists’ heads. Brushing up against some of these seemingly Jurassic-era toxic plants was unavoidable; the best you could do is keep it away from your face. Florin, a 20-year veteran of archaeological field work, said it was the worst poison ivy he’d ever seen.

Gently pushing aside the Hazmat foliage, you saw numbered red flags in the underbrush, approximately ten meters apart. This is where Florin and staff archaeologist Frank Koep were digging. The other team, Mike Beck and Jeff Shapiro, were only 30 feet up the bank, but were out of sight.

The holes were small and round—precisely the width of a shovel—and between six and 10 feet deep. Here, near the river, the holes began to fill up with water at about six feet and it became useless to dig any deeper. Each shovel-full went into a wooden-framed screen standing on two legs, where the material was sifted through.

It’s hard, hot, wet work, and there was barely a hint of a breeze in the cove. Strangely, there were few bugs. Koep joked that the poison ivy has even frightened off the mosquitoes and horseflies.

What might they find?
At this site, and at the depth they were digging, Florin’s team was looking for evidence of Native American artifacts, such as pottery shards, tools and the stone flakes that were left behind when the original residents carved their tools. If the team finds something, they record the GPS coordinates and bag the artifact. In three weeks of digging in around Winona, they hadn’t found anything except for a few pieces from early settlers in the town itself.

In the brush next to the river where no sane person would come, Florin’s team worked meticulously. Though they all looked a bit scruffy because of the circumstances, their conversations revealed a deep commitment to their work. Everyone on the team had a degree in archaeology and more than a decade of field work.

“We’re fortunate to have excellent professionals on our pre-qualified list that we can hire to help us carry out our responsibilities,” said Peterson.

By Commissioner Tom Sorel

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Mississippi Valley Conference in Michigan. This is a group of our neighboring states who are members of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—AASHTO, as most of you know it.

The purpose of the group is to foster the development, operation and maintenance of an integrated and balanced transportation system to adequately serve the needs of those states whose highways serve the upper Mississippi Valley.

The incoming president of MVC is Iowa DOT Director Nancy Richardson, and I am the new vice-president, a role I look forward to taking on.

This year was the 100th annual meeting of the organization. Under the theme of “Today’s Innovation = Tomorrow’s Reality,” participants learned about successful and innovative approaches to the challenges facing transportation today. 

Some of Mn/DOT’s own experts were on hand to share what we’re doing here in Minnesota. Metro District Engineer Scott McBride talked about the Interstate 394 Integrated Corridor Management system and the Urban Partnership Agreement. Brad Larsen, director of Traditional and Innovative Finance, discussed public-private partnerships in Minnesota – what we’ve done and what we’re currently exploring. 

Deputy Commissioner Khani Sahebjam also accepted on Mn/DOT’s behalf a Regional American Transportation Award for the Interstate 35W bridge reconstruction. 

Other topics discussed at the conference included the Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition, the vehicle mileage tax as a revenue source, the Federal Highway Administration’s concerns about federal economic stimulus administration in economically distressed areas and the expectations of various local disadvantaged business enterprise communities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

In addition, there was a full session on the status of current authorization proposals in Congress, which provided valuable analysis and information on the Highway Trust Fund, the House Surface Transportation authorization bill and the Senate’s SAFETEA-LU extension—all topics you’ll hear much about in the months ahead.

I invite you to look at the following link for more information about conference topics:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mvc2009/agenda_274645_7.pdf.