By TK Kramascz

Despite a heat wave that kept crowd numbers below average for much of the 12-day event, thousands of visitors stopped by the MnDOT State Fair exhibit this year, many of whom made time to discuss their favorite A to B trips—and how they arrived at the fair itself.

In an effort to start a dialogue about the importance of transportation in Minnesotans’ lives—and as a sneak peek about Minnesota GO and the A to B theme—MnDOT recorded some of the visitors’ best answers. You can see their photos and videos on our Facebook page.

Most visitors’ A to B centered around leisure trips between various sections of the state. 

The sneak peek showed a glimpse of a much larger education and outreach campaign scheduled to start this fall in which MnDOT, transportation stakeholders and other partners will engage the public. The campaign will highlight identified transportation needs for the next 20 years against a projected $30 billion to $50 billion funding gap. MnDOT staff handed out more than 17,000 A to B brochures.

Visit the Minnesota Go page to learn more about this important program.

Staff also provided information about  The Unsession, Gov. Dayton’s new initiative, billed as a “first-of-its kind effort to reduce state government” by improving service, shortening wait times, eliminating old and outdated rules, and “undoing anything else that makes government nearly impossible for people to understand.”

MnDOT’s display also featured more traditional offerings—the updated state highway map (22,000 were distributed) and 511 Travel Information (including information about the new app for iPhones and Android devices). Staff handled numerous comments and requests ranging from light rail to construction projects, roundabouts and snowplow safety information.

Just up the block from the Education Building, MnDOT also had a presence in the Eco Experience, a building-size exhibit presented by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to inspire people to lead more sustainable lives while improving quality of life and the environment. The Eco Experience, composed of a number of booths, received the 2013 People’s Choice Award for Best Attraction at the fair.

The hot-off-the-press state bike maps, last published in 2001, also were handed out at the MnDOT booth in the Eco Experience.

“I’m delighted that Jean will be bringing her extensive experience and skills to the Modal Planning and Program Management Division,” said Tim Henkel, division director.

Wallace’s office is located on the fourth floor of C.O. She may be reached at 651-366-3181.

Van Dyck brings more than 20 years of diversified human resources, management, legal and advanced professional labor relations experience to her position as Human Resources director.

She joined MnDOT in August 2006, serving as labor relations manager. She has been the acting Human Resources director for the past 18 months.

Van Dyck holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management. She is also certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Van Dyck is located on the fifth floor of C.O. and may be reached at 651-366-3385.

Last week, on an August day reminiscent of six years ago when the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, two dozen survivors and victims’ family members traveled to MnDOT’s Oakdale office to claim a piece of the bridge that changed their lives forever.

Under legislation passed in 2013, MnDOT is authorized to dispose of the remnant steel from the I-35W Bridge that collapsed Aug. 1, 2007, now that all claims have been settled. The law outlines, in priority order, who is eligible to receive a piece of steel: the Minnesota Historical Society; survivors; federal and state agencies with responsibilities for transportation safety; institutions of higher education in the field of engineering; and, at the commissioner’s discretion, other persons or institutions directly affected by the bridge collapse.

The original bridge steel amount was 8.9 million pounds, of which there is about 6.6 million pounds left, according to Ed Lutgen, bridge construction engineer. He said the rest of the steel was part of the approach spans, which were salvaged years ago because they were not part of the cause of the collapse.

Lutgen, who worked closely with the National Transportation Safety Board during its investigation, was on hand Aug. 28 in Oakdale to help survivors locate steel that was near the section of the bridge they were on when the structure went down.

“Some were distraught, but I think it helped them to talk about their experiences. It brought them some closure,” he said.

Additional individuals are expected to claim their pieces in mid-September.

By Chad Fowlds

MnDOT has received a $9.8 million federal Economic Development Administration grant to make flood mitigation improvements to Hwy 169 between Mankato and Saint Peter. District 7 employees Zak Tess, Scott Morgan, Lisa Bigham and Ronda Allis teamed up on the application for the grant to fund construction to raise the grade of Hwy 169 above the 100-year floodplain.

“Hwy 169 is a vital corridor for southern Minnesota families and businesses and is in dire need of repair,” said U.S. Rep. Tim Walz. “This is a smart investment that will rebuild critical infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and help Minnesota’s economy grow.”

The project will be completed in three phases beginning in 2014.

MnDOT has had to close Hwy 169 seven times in the last 20 years due to flooding on the Minnesota River—most significantly in October 2010 and May 2011—forcing road closures and detours that crippled local businesses.. This typically results in closing Hwy 22 also, which means lengthy detours for more than 22,000 vehicles each day. Hwy 169 is an important inter-regional corridor with high numbers of both heavy commercial traffic and passenger cars. Keeping Hwy 169 open will improve safety for the traveling public during high water conditions, which can extend for weeks and a have a significant negative impact on the regional economy.

For more information about the Hwy 169 Flood Mitigation project, check out www.dot.state.mn.us/d7/projects/floodmitigation/.

By Erik Rudeen, Government Affairs

The Unsession is a first-of-its-kind effort to make government better, faster, simpler and more efficient for people. The goal is to improve service, shorten wait times, eliminate old and outdated rules, and undo anything else that makes government nearly impossible for people to understand.

Submit your ideas for the Unsession at http://unsession.ideascale.com.

State employees have already submitted more than 600 concepts for reform, and members of the public have sent in more than 200 proposals. Don’t miss this opportunity to suggest ways for making Minnesota a better place.  

By Becky Dahlberg

2013-2014 State Highway Map

The latest Minnesota State Highway Map is now available online at mndot.gov/statemap/. Produced every two years, the state map can be viewed or printed directly from the website, or you can order a free one from Explore Minnesota or pick one up at any MnDOT district office or travel information center. Don’t forget, the 2013 state bicycle map is also available at mndot.gov/bike/maps.html.

Collaboration tools

Trying to set up a meeting with someone outside the office but don’t want to travel? Check out the new collaboration tools page, with remote meeting and collaboration options to help you decide the best format for your meeting, as well as accessibility resources to make it accessible to everyone. Visit http://ihub/collaboration/ or click on “collaboration tools” under MnDOT’s A to Z search.

New Library Materials posted on Web

The latest edition of New Library Materials is now available at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/library/newlibmat.html.

The Information Extra in this issue highlights the MnDOT Library’s periodical collection and the routing services provided by the Library.

New Library Materials is a compilation of new titles and other resources added to the library collection during the previous month. If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please contact Pam Gonzalez at 651-366-3749. Previous editions of New Library Materials are archived and available at mndot.gov/library/recacq-archive.html.

For other information requests, contact the Library at 651-366-3791 or email library.dot@state.mn.us, or send requests via the “Ask a Librarian” Web page at mndot.gov/library/asklibrarian.html.

The Hwy 169/I-494 interchange project is one of the top 10 finalists in the 2013 America’s Transportation Awards competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
 
“The 10 projects competing for top honors have made incredible impacts on their communities,” said Bud Wright, AASHTO executive director. “We are very proud of these state DOTs and their outstanding projects.”

Vote for the Hwy 169/I-494 Interchange Reconstruction Project at www.AmericasTransportationAwards.org and put MnDOT at the top.

The Grand Prize will be awarded by a panel of judges. The People’s Choice Award will be decided by popular vote of the general public. The winners of both the Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award will be awarded with $10,000 each, which must be donated to a charity or scholarship of the winner's choice.

Online voting begins Sept. 4, and will continue through Wednesday, Oct. 2. Individuals may vote up to 10 times per day for their favorite projects. The two awards will be presented Oct. 20 at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Denver.