Officials celebrate with ribbon cutting ceremony

Work on the multiyear Hwy 14 project between Waseca and Owatonna is nearing completion as crews wrap up drain tile work, resulting in temporary lane closures on Hwy 14—a key corridor in southern Minnesota that connects New Ulm, Mankato, Owatonna and Rochester.

The expansion between Waseca and Owatonna is the final stage of a greater Hwy 14 expansion project that stretches from Hwy 60 just east of Mankato to Owatonna:

• Stage A—Hwy 60 to Janesville (completed in 2004)
• Stage B—Janesville to Waseca (completed in 2006)
• Stage C—Waseca Bypass (2008-2012)
• Stage D—Waseca to Owatonna (2009-2012)

Expansion to a four-lane roadway with bypasses is expected to improve safety and mobility between cities and reduce the number and severity of crashes.

Work on Stage D of the project included:

• Grading and surfacing from the Waseca/Steele county line to just east of the Interstate 35/Hwy 14 interchange for the new Hwy 14 alignment
• Constructing a new I-35/Hwy 14 interchange
• Constructing eight bridges

Volunteers hand out more than 37,000 maps

Bruce Lattu, disability programs coordinator for the Office of Affirmative Action, is now eligible for the state vacation donation program, which allows employees to donate up to 40 hours of vacation per fiscal year for approved recipients who have exhausted their sick and vacation leave due to injury or illness.

Lattu, a 27-year state employee, was hospitalized Aug. 9 with a life-threating illness. Due to his ongoing need for medical care, Lattu has been unable to return to work.

To donate vacation hours, go to the Employee Self Service Web site and click “Other Payroll” and then “Leave Donations.” The site also allows employees to view a list of all state employees eligible for the program and enroll as a recipient.

Related information:

Vacation donation: a worthy program for worthy people (Newsline, June 21, 2006)—Read a viewpoint that Lattu wrote in 2006 about the vacation donation program.

Bryan Dodds became director of the Office of Land Management Sept. 5. He succeeds Mike Stensberg, who had been serving as acting director until his recent retirement.

Dodds began his career with the department in 1999 as a rotating graduate engineer. Since then, he has served as project manager in Metro District’s Office of State Aid working on cooperative agreement and federal aid projects, and as project manager on the design and construction of the NorthStar Corridor Rail project. Most recently, Dodds served as director of the Metro District Transit Section, where he was responsible for managing MnDOT’s role in planning, designing, constructing and operating major transit projects in the Twin Cities Metro area, including NorthStar, Central Corridor and Southwest light rail projects.

“I’m excited to become part of the Office of Land Management,” Dodds said. “Excited for the opportunity to learn the business, get to know the people and help lead the office to continued excellence.”

Dodds graduated from the University of Minnesota where he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He is a licensed engineer in Minnesota.

“Bryan has been with the department for more than 13 years and brings an excellent background to the position,” said Jon Chiglo, Engineering Services Division director.

Dodds is located on the eighth floor of Central Office. He can be contacted at 651-366-3502 or bryan.dodds@state.mn.us.

Women’s Transportation Seminar Minnesota is hosting a tour of the Regional Transportation Management Center Sept. 18 from 1:45 – 3 p.m.

The RTMC is located at the Metro District Headquarters, 1500 W County Road B2, Roseville, Minn. The facility houses MnDOT’s arterial operations, freeway operations, Metro District dispatch, state patrol dispatch and 911.

The tour is intended to give MnDOT employees an opportunity to see how various RTMC operations are integrated in one facility, which strives to provide safe and reliable trips for travelers.    

Employees interested in taking the tour should RSVP to Ashley Ver Burg at 651-643-0432 by Sept. 14.