By Sue Roe

Nothing changed the country’s landscape quite like the interstate highway system. It helped shape and grow the nation’s economy, quality of life, tourism and mobility. It changed the way goods and people move. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the landmark legislation that set in motion the “super highway.”

“Today, motorists and system users still rely on the interstate highways to get them from place to place. Minnesota’s economy is dependent on having interstates in good, usable condition so that products and services can get to market,” said Sue Mulvihill, deputy commissioner and chief engineer. “MnDOT is proud to operate and maintain nearly 1,000 miles of interstate highway, because we know how important this particular piece of the trunk highway system is to all Minnesotans. We will continue to manage the interstates to the best of our ability with the help of our partners and customers.”

Birth of the interstate
The idea for the interstate system was conceived as early as the first cars were getting stuck in mud roads, but it wasn’t until the Federal-Aid Highway Act and the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 that the 41,000 mile system gained momentum.

President Dwight Eisenhower’s legislation provided more federal funding for road building in the four years after 1956 than in the previous 40. The Highway Trust Fund, created by the Highway Revenue Act, provided a 90 percent federal funding share for building the network and was a dedicated funding source.

The system was intended to connect metropolitan areas, cities and industrial areas. The legislation required the system to be designed to accommodate the traffic needs of 1975. 

Eisenhower called for standard design to implement the program, including 12-foot lanes in each direction, 10-foot paved right shoulders, design speeds of 50 to 70 miles per hour, signs and materials.

According to the February 1957 edition of Minnesota Highway:

The main objective of freeways, expressways and similar high standard highways is to permit a free flowing, rapid traffic – not through excessive speed, but through sustained, safe speeds.

It will, for the first time in history, free the motorist from the delay and accident hazard of hundreds of grade intersections and traffic moving to or from the highway on connecting private driveways.

Their construction, alone, will provide direct and indirect employment for thousands of men for more than a decade….The freeways will become a dominant factor in settlement and community planning.

Target date for completion was 1972, but work continued long after. In early 1972, Minnesota completed 67 percent of the interstate system.

Minnesota planned 890 miles of the network. The original plan was for the development of I-35, I-90, I-94, I-494 and I-694. The project was estimated to take 13 years, but the last segment of I-35 wasn’t finished until 1992, completing the 1,593 miles from Laredo, Texas to downtown Duluth.

The last segment of I-90 opened in 1978 near Blue Earth. I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the country at more than 3,000 miles in 13 states.

The first section of interstate opened in Minnesota in 1958 on I-35 between Owatonna and Medford. The eight-mile section was hailed by Commissioner L.P. Zimmerman as “the start of a new era in the state’s highway facilities.”

“The tremendous amount of work which will follow on the interstate highways in our state will use the pattern established here in the construction of this first section which we are dedicating today,” he said at the opening ceremony. “In every sense of the word, this is a highway for the future.”

Zimmerman also said, “Uncounted hours of labor and devotion to duty have gone into what we see here today. Few of us realize how hard others have worked that this project may be completed and made available for the use of motorists.”

Beginning of careers
Steven Cray, a transportation specialist in the design office in District 7/Mankato, worked on many of the final segments of I-90 in his early years at MnDOT.

“My job was an entry level job doing basic grading inspection, performing gradations, proctors and density tests along with some surveying work. I was in my early 20s and knew that this was the connecting link, working long hours. I thought it was great that we were connecting the west and east coast, but was more worried what the next work day could bring,” he said.

Craig Felber began his MnDOT career in 1973 as an inspector and survey crew member in District 7. He worked on several sections of I-90 from Wells to Jackson from 1976 to 1978. He said crews worked 16-hour days, from 3 a.m. to sundown.

“Plant inspection normally started three hours before the first concrete left the plant to the job site. On days when bridge pours and mainline paving were done, traveling home for the night wasn’t worth it. Instead, we stayed and slept on the project site,” Felber said.

He remembers the last concrete batched and poured in 1978.

“The last concrete to be placed, that represented east meeting west, was batched out of Blue Earth Ready Mix,” he said.

Part of the last batch was tinted gold to signify the completion.

Today, Felber works in project management in Mankato.

“To me, the construction of I-90 meant a beginning of a career, not the completion of an interstate,” he said.

Editor’s Note: Minnesota and the rest of the country celebrated the interstate system’s 50th anniversary in 2006. Find some of MnDOT’s coverage here:  www.mndot.gov/library/interstate-50-anniversary.html. 

In addition, read more details about the role MnDOT, and its predecessor, the Minnesota Highway Department, played in building the system at these links:
- State DOTs to mark 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system
- Grand ceremony celebrated completion of I-90 in Minnesota, nation
- Completing last section of I-35E in St. Paul posed major test for Mn/DOT
- Vintage vehicle display, speakers will mark interstate highway system’s 50th anniversary
- Vintage auto show, salute to employees mark interstate's 50th anniversary
- Interstate 94 becomes integral part of Twin Cities’ growth, dynamism
- Agents needed fortitude, patience to obtain rights of way for interstate system
- Fate, circumstances play out in history of the interstate system
- 50th anniversary of interstate highway system brings vision for its future

Here’s American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official’s You Tube video about the 60th anniversary.

By Rich Kemp

MnDOT is moving a section of Hwy 53 near Virginia as part of an 1960 agreement with an iron mining company. The easement MnDOT signed to build the original road included a requirement that MnDOT would move the road within three years of notice if the mining company needed to get to the ore underneath.

In 2010, the mining interests notified MnDOT that the road would need to be moved. Later that year, the agency and the mine company agreed to a 2017 date for the road to be moved.

“Because of the mild winter, we were able to make major progress on the project,” said Pat Huston, project director. “It continues to be a very challenging and rewarding project. It is a project of a lifetime for most of us involved.”

Part of the project development process included mineral rights acquisition. The state has purchased the mineral rights under the new alignment to ensure that MnDOT will not have to move the road again.

Summary of work

• Vacating a portion of Hwy 53
• New alignment from Bourgin Road to 2nd Avenue in Virginia (3.2 miles)
• New interchange at Hwy 135
• New bridge over Rouchleau Pit, which will be the highest bridge in Minnesota
• Relocation of Landfill Road
• Realignment of  Mesabi Trail
• Reconstruction of  2nd Avenue interchange
• City of Virginia utility relocation

The project involved the first commercial use of a drone by the state of Minnesota for high precision surveying of the fractures in the Rouchleau Pit walls. The information collected in June 2015 was combined with drilling data to create a 3D model of the rock fractures.

Crews are constructing the east and west bridge piers. Project staff anticipates that the east and west bridge abutments will be completed early this fall, and steel girder installation will begin in September.

By Rich Kemp

Many of Minnesota’s state line monuments date back to the 1930s and 1940s. The early markers consisted of approximately 16 stone monuments and several wood signs.

Kathryn McFadden, historic roadside properties program manager, and Steve Wyczawski, project manager for historic restorations, worked with specialty contractors to restore 14 state line monuments during the last two years.

The National Registry of Historic Places declared the monuments as historic places worthy of preservation. To be considered historic, the property must meet the following criteria:

• More than 50 years old
• Associated with an event or well-known architect
• Scenic value
• Quality of structure design

By Judy Jacobs

WIG 1.0 (Enhancing Financial Effectiveness, or “EFE”) offered employees an opportunity to engage in Other Wig Supporting Activities, or OWSA, projects that would enhance financial effectiveness and that may not have been related to one of the four main WIG project teams of financial management, asset management, project management and information and outreach.

MnDOT leadership asked MnDOT teams to start OWSAs for these reasons:

• Reduce costs/cycle times and improve quality
• Get more employees engaged in WIG 1.0 and learning the 4 Disciplines of Execution
• Create idea exchanges between offices and districts
• Develop best practices

“MnDOT employees really engaged in working on OWSAs that focused on improving delivery time, reducing costs and improving the quality of our products and services,” said Sue Mulvihill, deputy commissioner and chief engineer.  “Statewide, hundreds of MnDOT employees were involved in 374 OWSA projects.”

Leadership heard feedback that what employees want most is the tools and resources to do their jobs as effectively as possible. The “Best of the OWSAs” award program was born to showcase their efforts and thank employees. With one-time funding from the Resource Investment Council, the program recognizes the top efforts and innovations from the OSWA of the Enhancing Financial Effectiveness WIG. The selected projects will receive one-time funding to be applied to requested resources or equipment in each of their offices or districts.

MnDOT office directors and district engineers were invited to submit up to three candidates to be considered for the Best of the OWSAs award. A selection committee reviewed each of the OWSAs that were submitted. Fifty-three finalists were selected based on demonstrated excellence in categories of: improved quality, cost reduction, improved delivery time, impact, innovation, team work and intended use of funding. Finalist teams were recognized by being nominated by their local leadership and acknowledged by all the leadership within MnDOT.

Fourteen winners were selected as Best of the OWSAs. Success stories include Metro’s snowplow road readiness efforts, District 7’s salt spinner motor reconfiguration, Transit’s reduction of open transit grants, Office of Traffic Safety and Technology’s and Metro’s LED lighting replacement, District 4’s out-of-lifecycle fleet reduction and District 6’s native planting along I-35.

The complete list of the Best of OWSAs awards recipients are:

• District 1                             Milling/wedge paving – Duluth maintenance subarea
• District 4                             Out of lifecycle fleet reduction
• District 6                             Hydraulic Inspection Vehicle Explorer
• District 6                             Native plantings along Interstate 35
• District 7                             Salt spinner motor reconfiguration
• District 7                             Enhanced outreach planning
• Metro                                 Snowplow road-ready for snow season
• OTST/Metro                      LED lighting replacement
• Aeronautics                        No expiring federal entitlements within control
• Chief Counsel                     Special Provisions
• Communications                 Photo project
• Transit                                Reduce open transit grants
• Finance                              Program accounting project close
• OFCVO                            Rail agreements

“The goal of the Best of the OWSAs program was to recognize and reward our employees for a job well done,” said Mulvihill. “We want them to know they worked hard to be efficient and effective, so here is some funding coming back to your area to support you and help you do your jobs.”

“Thank you for your continued support of these important and innovative efforts that help improve MnDOT’s financial effectiveness,” Mulvihill said. “The combined results of all the teams have truly helped MnDOT Enhance our Financial Effectiveness.  We could not have done this without you. Please join us in congratulating the teams selected as the Best of the OWSAs.”

By Becky Niyukuri

Policy updates

Hazard Evaluation Process
MnDOT uses the Hazard Evaluation Process (HEP) to perform a due diligence review on products or proposed re-use of waste materials that have a potential to release chemicals during application or long-term use that could result in contamination of the environment. The HEP is a part of the larger MnDOT Approved/Qualified Products Process. Information from the expired Technical Memo 11-04-ENV-01 has been included in the new policy. Policy approved June 2016

Procurement of Goods & General (non-P/T) Services
The updated policy provides details about the procurement process. Information presented includes the procurement process and documentation, authority for purchase, bidder protests and vendor performance and purchasing violations. The roles and responsibilities section sets expectations for managing the procurement process. Policy approved June 2016

New Library Materials

New Library Materials are available at www.mndot.gov/library/newlibmat.html. This issue gives a preview of the upcoming agency-wide full-text access to digital ASTM and AASHTO Standards.

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 the distribution list, contact Pam Gonzalez at 651-366-3749.  

Previous editions of New Library Materials are available at www.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 www.mndot.gov/library/asklibrarian.html.