By Mary McFarland Brooks

One of the most visible of the mitigation items associated with the St. Croix Crossing project is the relocation of the Bergstein Shoddy Mill and Warehouse, which were recently transplanted from Oak Park Heights to their final resting place by the St. Croix River in Stillwater.

The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the owners, Moritz and Bertha Bergstein, were two of a limited number of Jewish settlers in Minnesota in the 1880s. The couple dealt in used goods and recycled materials, which including manufacturing shoddy—wool made from rags. This light manufacturing occurred in the mill and the shoddy was stored in the warehouse until it was shipped by rail to Minneapolis where it was made into mattresses.  

“There were no major issues other than the rain we received the weekend before the move made the ground soft, which required more ground bridging material to be used,” said Ray Stenglein, owner of Environmental Associates Inc., general contractor for the move, which began at 10 p.m. on Nov. 14 and concluded at 4 a.m. on Nov. 15.

The warehouse, the larger of the two buildings, weighs approximately 95,000 lbs., and the mill, built of stone, weighs approximately 256,000 lbs. Both buildings were stabilized and lifted onto trucks for the relocation.

The buildings are now located across from the River Oasis Cafe on Hwy 95 and adjacent to the bike and pedestrian loop trail, which will be constructed as part of the St. Croix Crossing project.

Final stone foundation work on the buildings will be done in 2012 and electrical and plumbing hook up will be done in spring 2013. The city of Stillwater will own and maintain the buildings.

For more information about the St. Croix Crossing project, see www.dot.state.mn.us/stcroixcrossing/index.html.

By Libby Schultz

Chris Roy is the new director for the Office of Project Management and Technical Support starting Dec. 5.

Roy served as the director of the Office of Aeronautics, and held positions as north area manager, project coordination engineer in the Land Management Office and west area engineer in Metro District. He led the management of many diverse projects including Hwy 610, and traffic relief projects after the Interstate 35W Bridge collapse.

Roy has a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in infrastructure system engineering from the University of Minnesota.

“I see our office as being a partner with the districts in delivering projects, and I hope to bring a sense of partnership between central office and the districts,” said Roy.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Mike Ginnaty for leading the Office of Project Management and Technical Support during the last 18 months. "We wish Mike great success as he moves back to District 4,” said Jon Chiglo, Engineering Services Division director.

Chad Fowlds and Jed Falgren have been appointed assistant district engineers for District 7/Mankato, said Greg Ous, Mankato transportation district engineer.

Fowlds will serve as the assistant district engineer for program delivery, effective immediately. He succeeds Lisa Bigham, who has been on mobility in this position since October 2011.

Fowlds has a civil engineering degree from South Dakota State University, and has been with MnDOT for 16 years. He began his career in the Bridge Office and rotated through the Foundations Unit before going to District 7 for the next 15 years.  While in District 7, he has spent time in pre-design, planning, design and construction.

Fowlds also has spent the past 11 years as the resident engineer in Mankato, and served as the acting ADE for program delivery from 2009 through 2011.

A native of South Dakota, Fowlds now resides in North Mankato with his wife Janele and their two children.

Beginning Dec. 3, Fowlds new number is 507-304-6102. 

Falgren’s position as the district’s new assistant maintenance engineer is effective Dec. 10. He succeeds Tom Zimmerman, who has been on mobility in this position since June 2012.

Falgren has a transportation engineering degree from North Dakota State University and initially worked for MnDOT from 1989 through 1995 as a grad engineer and a senior engineer in the Mankato Construction Office, where he also served as a project engineer. 

He also has held various positions in the private sector, most recently serving as president of an independent consulting firm that assists companies looking to improve their manufacturing efficiency and performance.

A native of Windom, Falgren has resided in Mankato since 1989. He and his wife Lisa have four children.

As of Dec. 10, Falgren’s new number will be 507-304-6104.

Employees are invited to attend the latest Commissioner’s Reading Corner discussion Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 1:30 p.m., in the MnDOT Library at Central Office. Nick Thompson, Policy, Safety & Strategic Initiatives Division director, will lead a discussion of “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” by Michael Lewis.

This book discussion was originally planned for June 2011, but was rescheduled because of the then-pending state government shutdown.

Employees also can participate virtually via Adobe Connect and should log in as a guest no earlier than 1:15 p.m. All employees are encouraged to attend, even if they have not yet read the book. 
For more information on the Commissioner’s Reading Corner, visit ihub/readingcorner or contact Qin Tang, MnDOT librarian, at 651-366-3784.

An interview featuring Thompson’s reaction to the latest book is available at http://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/readingcorner/interviews/thompson.html.

By Commissioner Tom Sorel

As I announced earlier this month, Friday, Nov. 30, will be my last day as MnDOT commissioner. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my job with the best organization—and the best employees—in the world! While it was a tough decision for me to leave an organization that I absolutely love, taking the job of president and CEO of AAA Minneapolis will provide me and my family with long-term security that an appointed position, by its nature, cannot.

I am honored to have spent four-and-a-half years as your commissioner, serving under two governors whose visions for transportation I respect, for an organization whose core values I share, and with skilled and dedicated employees whom I admire and appreciate.  

What I’ve learned in my years at MnDOT is this: we have a very resilient and innovative workforce.

In the tough months following the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, the agency set about not only constructing a new span across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, but also rebuilding public trust and confidence in MnDOT. At the same time, MnDOT employees, understandably shaken by the inconceivable tragedy, also needed time to heal.

Five years later, market research tells us that public trust and confidence in MnDOT has been restored. It also shows that MnDOT is now ranked as the best state agency for employee satisfaction.

Through ingenuity, integrity, alliance and accountability, MnDOT employees daily strive to create and maintain a safe, efficient and sustainable transportation system for the future, a system that contributes to Minnesotans’ overall quality of life and serves as a transportation model globally. It’s part of who we are, and why 5,000 employees have chosen to work for MnDOT.

I can’t take credit for the transformation—I just happened to be here at the right time to help move the agency forward. However, I will say that I am proud to have taken this journey with all of you. Together, we are MnDOT!