By Jessica Wiens

Widespread rain engulfed Duluth and the surrounding area June 19-20, causing the worst flooding the region experienced in recorded history. The powerful water ripped pavement from the roads, destroyed bridge decks and created several sinkholes throughout northeastern Minnesota.

“The flooding affected almost every corridor within 50 miles of Duluth at one time or another,” said Duane Hill, District 1 engineer. “As the water receded in some areas, it rose in others. In particular, the McGregor and Moose Lake areas had flood crests much later than the immediate flooding in Duluth.”

According to Hill, Lake Superior rose four inches after the event, and the storm dropped enough water in the area to fill Mille Lacs Lake.

“The remarkable thing is there were no deaths or serious injuries in Minnesota caused by the flooding,” said Hill. “I’m so thankful for the MnDOT employees from District 1 and other areas who dropped their regular work to help when we needed it.”  

Closures remain

The Minnesota State Patrol and District 1 crews closed about a dozen highways and Interstate 35; many of these roads were closed in multiple locations. Most roads are now open because crews completed temporary repairs, but work remains to finish more permanent solutions. Two roads are still closed:

• Hwy 2 from Proctor to Duluth
• Hwy 210 through Jay Cooke State Park (eight miles)

Crews plan to complete permanent repairs to Hwy 2 this season, but Hwy 210 is another story. Work to clean and repair several washouts, landslides and inslope failures on Hwy 210 will take much longer to complete. But Hill says it may be possible to construct temporary repairs on Hwy 210 this season.

“We need to get creative with the Hwy 210 repairs and try out a few innovative things we haven’t done before to find the best solution,” Hill said.

Jay Cooke State Park remains closed because Hwy 210 is the only access to the park for vehicles.

Current estimates to repair all flood damage is $55 million.

Help by the hundreds

District 1 employees responded immediately to monitor flood damage, set-up barricades, create GIS maps and establish internal and external communications channels.

Soon after, Districts 2, 3 and Metro arrived with personnel and traffic control equipment to assist. The Metro District also brought some heavy equipment to help with initial repairs. The Bridge Office and Materials Office also helped in the field with reviewing damage and planning repairs. 

“Northeastern Minnesota is accessible thanks to hundreds of MnDOT employees and other emergency responders who came together in a time of crisis,” said Commissioner Tom Sorel. “The department will continue to use every resource we have to manage the current situation, complete permanent repairs and help out our partners where we can.”

Through State Aid, MnDOT is also dispatching teams to inspect about 180 bridges and structures on county, city and township roads that were most affected by flooding. These inspections will help local governments submit documentation for federal and state assistance. The inspections will take about two weeks, and all repairs are anticipated to be complete within six months. 

Just the beginning

The District 1 engineering staff broke into assessment teams for each major repair area to initially get roads open and then to coordinate permanent fixes. Several of the flood-damaged locations had construction projects occurring in the area, so contractors were already on site and able to help with immediate responses. Other areas will take a bit more time to get contractors out.  

The process to get federal emergency relief funding for all of the permanent repairs continues. The Legislature also plans to hold a special session to discuss flood relief at the state level.

“We have a long road ahead of us to get back to the way things were,” Hill said.

Editor's note:

Commissioner Sorel and Deputy Commissioner Arseneau will conduct a webcast Thursday, July 12, at 1 p.m., that will discuss the department's response to the June flooding that occurred in the Duluth area, as well as the recently passed federal transportation bill. Employees can access the webcast at http://oitw2ksvideo1.ad.dot.state.mn.us/dot3.asx. The webcast will be rebroadcasted at Friday, July 13, at 10 a.m.

By Kristin Kammueller, District 6 Public Affairs

Faustino “Tino” Alvarez, District 6 Maintenance, died June 18. He was 46 years old.

Alvarez was driving home from work when his vehicle drifted into the oncoming traffic lane and was struck by a pickup truck.

Alvarez began working for MnDOT in 2010 as part of the original Transportation Associate Training program in District 6. Once the program was complete, he was hired permanently as part of the Winona Bridge crew in July 2010, before finally transferring to the Winona subarea in spring 2011.

Alvarez enjoyed working for MnDOT and took pride in keeping the roads safe by patching, removing brush and plowing. He also liked getting to spend time outside.

“Every time I would see him, he would thank me over and over, he was extremely grateful for the opportunity to work at MnDOT,” said Nelrae Succio, District 6 engineer.

In his free time, Alvarez loved being with his family and friends. He liked working in the mechanic shop he had in his garage and enjoyed dancing, music, telling stories and watching boxing.

Alvarez leaves behind his wife Kimberly; children Heather, Ricardo, Mariana and Liliana; and grandchildren Dayton and Bently.

Plan calls for four-lane expansion from North Mankato to Nicollet

By Chris Krueger

Gov. Mark Dayton and Commissioner Tom Sorel announced a three-phase strategy for a troubled stretch of U.S. Hwy 14 in south central Minnesota at a June 26 news conference in Mankato.

The strategy includes a commitment to expand the highway to four lanes from North Mankato to Nicollet and immediate action to improve safety along the stretch of road. The total cost for all three phases is estimated between $21.5 million and $35 million.  

“This segment of Hwy 14 has proven to be particularly dangerous, and today’s actions will be important steps to reduce both congestion and accidents,” Dayton said.  

The governor announced that the long-term result of the three-phase strategy will be a four-lane road between North Mankato and Nicollet, which is expected to be complete by 2017 or 2018. To maximize efficiencies, MnDOT will reuse as much of the existing pavement and materials as possible during construction.

In the meantime, the department has already begun the first phase of the strategy, which increases traffic enforcement on Hwy 14. A Road Safety Audit of Hwy 14 earlier this year showed that drivers along this stretch have a lower rate of seat belt use – 73 percent compared to 93 percent statewide. The report also showed that motorists tend to drive faster than posted speed limits.

“We are working with the State Patrol to provide more enforcement to address those issues as well other driver behaviors that contribute to crashes,” Sorel said.

In addition, Minnesota’s Toward Zero Deaths initiative also will increase its efforts in the area to educate drivers about safe driving.

“We can provide engineering solutions, but we also have to work very closely with the four E’s—engineering, education, enforcement and emergency medical services—to make this work,” Sorel said.

The second phase of the strategy will construct a two-lane divided highway. The department will build the innovative road design to stay in place until the four-lane expansion is complete. A widened median will create a buffer between the existing two lanes of traffic and lane separaters and rumble strips, which will be installed by next winter, will help reduce head-on crashes. The department will evaluate this design for use along other Minnesota highways facing similar risks.

In addition to the safety benefits, the design adheres to the principles of MnDOT’s new Corridor Investment Management Strategy program by deploying high return-on-investment approaches that meet regional priorities outside of performance-based criteria.

“To be able to do something like this takes a level of creativity and dedication on behalf of MnDOT,” said state Rep. Terry Morrow. “On behalf of my constituents in Nicollet County, I am deeply grateful.” 

MnDOT, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, recently selected the architectural and engineering firm HDR, with teaming partner Buckland & Taylor, to lead the design effort for the St. Croix Crossing Bridge.

The bridge will span the St. Croix River between Oak Park Heights, Minn., and St. Joseph, Wis.

The $14.2 million contract will lead to the development of an extradosed-type bridge design that was selected by a community stakeholder group. The design is a hybrid of a concrete box girder structure and a cable-stayed structure and is lower in height than a typical cable-stayed bridge. The bridge design minimizes environmental impacts by keeping tower heights below the river bluffs and reducing the number of piers in the river.

When completed, the St. Croix Crossing will be the second extradosed bridge in the United States; the first extradosed bridge is currently being constructed in Connecticut.

The four–lane St. Croix Crossing Bridge, estimated to cost between $280 million and $310 million, will be constructed using the design-bid-build method.

The bridge is a part of the larger St. Croix Crossing project, which includes expressways on either side of the bridge in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The project also includes an extensive trail facility for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as historic and environmental mitigation efforts. The total cost for the entire St. Croix Crossing project is estimated to cost between $580 million and $676 million.

The design work will take approximately one year to complete with construction of the bridge anticipated to begin in fall 2013. 

For more information on the St. Croix Crossing project, visit www.dot.state.mn.us/stcroixcrossing/ or the St. Croix Crossing Facebook page at www.facebook.com/saintcroixcrossingmndot.

President Barack Obama signed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill into law Friday, July 6. Policy provisions of the bill will take effect Oct. 1.

The bill authorizes and funds Highway Trust Fund programs for 27 months, which covers federal fiscal years 2012-14. It also extends existing Highway Trust Fund tax authority to Sept. 20, 2016.

The total transportation funding levels for all Minnesota modes and programs in the bill are comparable to the funding levels in fiscal year 2012.

Key highway provisions include:

• The elimination or consolidation of about 60 programs into six formula highway programs.
• Minnesota receives the same level of funding for highway formula apportionments it received in federal fiscal year 2012.
• Every state is guaranteed a minimum return of 95 percent of gas tax payments into the Highway Trust Fund, but the Equity Bonus program is eliminated.
• States must establish performance targets correlated to each of the performance measures established by the US DOT within one year after the final rule establishing the measures is issued.
• States are required to establish and use a performance-based approach to decision making, including the establishment of performance targets.
• States are required to cooperate, not consult, with transportation officials in non-metropolitan areas.
• States must create regional transportation planning organizations.
• States must continue current metropolitan planning organization designations.

Other provisions include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program.

The bill includes projects of national and regional significance, limited provisions to authorize tolling on interstate highways and a distracted driving incentive grant program. Not included are the TIGER grant program, National Infrastructure Bank, high-speed rail and the seat belt incentive program.

The bill did not create a separate freight funding program, but increased the federal cost share for freight mobility projects identified in state freight plans.

There were no changes in the basic funding structure for transit. The estimated annual apportionment for Minnesota public transportation is about 10 percent more than the amount received in federal fiscal year 2012. The bill converts the Bus and Bus Facilities program from a competitive program to a formula program; funding for the program is cut in half.

For more information about the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill, contact Serge Phillips at 651-366-3075 or serge.phillips@state.mn.us.

On a spring day in 1968, Jim Swanson began a 44-year career at MnDOT that would include contributing to a number of transportation improvements in Minnesota, both big and small.

Swanson, who began as a construction inspector for the storm sewer installation on Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul, concluded his public service July 6 as the District 7 engineer in Mankato. 

In between, Swanson worked in several engineering positions in Construction and Program Delivery in the Twin Cities area and in Mankato. He contributed to such projects as the Interstate 35E Parkway, Smith Avenue High Bridge and Snelling Avenue in St. Paul; the I-494 bridge over the Minnesota River near the airport; and Hwy 61 in Hastings.

During the 15 years he served as District 7 engineer in Mankato—from 1993-1999 and 2003-2012—he provided leadership for a number of projects that made significant improvements to the Hwy 169, Hwy 14 and Hwy 60 corridors in south central and southwestern Minnesota. He also was instrumental in starting the Mankato Area Transportation Partnership, which coordinates and guides the vision for transportation in the Mankato area.

In addition, Swanson served as assistant commissioner and assistant chief engineer in Central Office from 1999 to 2003. 

“These projects as well as many others brought many challenges, but also a great feeling of accomplishment,” Swanson reflected in the District 7/Mankato’s May newsletter.

“I have had the pleasure of being part of building several new truck stations and rest areas and the new Mankato Headquarters. There have been a lot of MnDOT people doing a lot of excellent work throughout the years,” he said. “The services and facilities that we all have provided to the public has been my greatest satisfaction. MnDOT is a state agency that does real work for real people and affects peoples’ lives every day of their life.”

Learn more about Swanson’s career, in his own words, in District 7/Mankato’s May 2012 newsletter: http://ihub/d7/newsletter/2012_may.html#Z1.

By Libby Schultz

Greg Ous returned to District 7/Mankato to start his new position as district engineer July 9. Ous spent the last three years serving as assistant division director for Operations at Central Office. 

“Having been away from the day-to-day District Operations for three years, I’m looking forward to meeting the new staff and catching up with those that have been here awhile like me,” Ous said.

Ous began his career at MnDOT in 1987 as a graduate engineer in District 2/Bemidji, where he rotated through Construction, Design and Hydraulics offices.

Ous then transferred to District 7/Mankato, where he was a project engineer for four years before becoming resident engineer. In his time in District 7/Mankato, Ous also held positions as detail Design engineer, area Maintenance engineer and assistant district engineer for Project Delivery.

“I will continually strive to be effective and efficient in the services we provide and help every employee understand the importance of their role in helping us achieve the department’s mission, vision and strategic direction,” Ous said.

He can be reached at 507-304-6101.

By Bob Filipczak

Last week’s heat wave gave MnDOT crews some more opportunities to see how fast they could fix roads as several reports of pavement buckling surfaced around the state.

It may seem obvious that buckling is caused by heat, but there are a few other factors that contribute to these blowouts, according to Maria Masten, acting pavement engineer at the Office of Materials and Road Research in Maplewood.

“Pavement buckling typically happens when there is a period of extreme heat preceded by a lot of rain,” Masten said. “It also happens more often with older concrete pavements that have longer joint spacing. Heavier traffic loads can also have an effect.”

If the pavement doesn’t have a chance to cool down at night, it continues to expand, increasing the potential for buckling.

Once the department receives a report of buckling, crews are dispatched to fix the problem. The trouble area is chipped out and immediately fixed with an asphalt patch. This temporary patch is designed to get traffic moving again. Later on, maintenance crews saw out the old concrete all the way down, then patch it with new concrete and dowels on each end, according to Masten.

So, is the department taking any preventative measures to minimize buckling?

“While buckles are unpredictable, MnDOT has taken steps over the last 20 years to design concrete pavements to be more resistant to buckling,” said Masten. “We use a much shorter joint spacing, 15 feet versus 27 feet or more, and that gives the smaller panels more places to expand and contract.”

Buckling is a serious safety issue that requires immediate attention, according to Masten.