While winter refused to release its grip on Minnesota, spring was officially marked April 4 at MnDOT’s annual construction and maintenance season kickoff event.

“It’s pretty obvious that construction is not going to get going this week,” said Sue Mulvihill, deputy commissioner and chief engineer, at the news conference in St. Paul. “Many projects were scheduled to start but they’ll be backing up a little bit as we deal with the snow we’ve had over the past couple of days.”  

Commissioner Charlie Zelle announced $1.1 billion in state road and bridge projects that will be worked on across Minnesota this year. The 253 projects, many of which are already underway, will help keep the state’s roads and bridges in good working condition, improve safety for motorists and support thousands of construction jobs across the state.

“These projects are critical investments in Minnesota’s aging transportation system,” Zelle said. “We will repave roads, repair and paint bridges, replace culverts and rehabilitate structures such as the Stillwater Lift Bridge.”

The commissioner also announced 49 multimodal projects valued at $32 million that will also be underway this year. These include airport, port and railroad projects that are outside of the state road construction program.

Despite the large construction program this year, Zelle said the long-term transportation funding picture remains bleak compared to the system’s needs. In 2017, Governor Dayton and the Legislature provided an additional $640 million in trunk highway bonding over the next four years as well as $164 million in cash. This additional funding will reduce Minnesota’s annual $600 million transportation funding gap by $200 million for each of the next four years. However, Minnesota’s $600 million annual funding gap will resume beginning again in 2022.

Michael Beer, Metro District construction engineer, noted that construction crews would be working hard on more than 70 projects in the Twin Cities alone.

“Long-term that means better roads and bridges, reduced congestion, improved safety, and more transit opportunities and bike and pedestrian facilities,” he said. “Short-term that means detours, work zones and sometimes difficult travel for you.”

“Construction is not going to leave any part of the state untouched this summer,” said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. “Our simple message is: we want people to slow down and pay attention. And that’s as simple as it gets for work zones.”

Langer added that drivers should know that “the Zipper Merge really works. It is the most efficient way to get through the work zone.”

District staff statewide, some partnering with cities or counties in their area, also spoke with their local reporters and provided information about the projects in their region.

2018 road and bridge construction

This year’s construction program features a number of projects in the Twin Cities metro area, including:

• Interstate 35W@94 – Upgrade infrastructure, improve transit service on I-35W and Lake Street, and provide better access into the Lake Street Business District.
• Highway 169 Belle Plaine – Repair or replace concrete pavement, construct a Reduced Conflict Intersection and install cable median barrier between Jordan and Belle Plaine
• Highway 169 Champlin – Replace Elm Creek bridges, realign Highway 169 between the Mississippi River and East Hayden Lake Road, and construct a pedestrian/bicycle underpass beneath Highway 169 at West River Road
• I-35 North Metro split – Resurface six miles of interstate from just south of the I-35 split at Forest Lake to a half mile north of Highway 8 and replace three bridges

Greater Minnesota will also see a lot of construction work this summer, including:

Northern region

• I-35 Snake River – Construct two new bridges at Snake River and resurface seven miles of I-35
• Highway 38 – Resurface pavement, provide intersection improvements, and replace 41 culverts   
• Highway 61 Two Harbors – Replace signals in Two Harbors, add turn lanes, resurface highway, make sidewalk and accessibility improvements, create new entrance at Campground Road
• Highway 194 – Reconfigure lanes to eliminate current weave, rehabilitate bridges, repair concrete pavement and storm sewers, and make accessibility improvements
• Highway 72- International Bridge – Work with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to conduct a preliminary design and environmental study for the replacement of the Baudette/Rainy River International Bridge
• Highway 2 – Replace Kennedy Bridge deck

Central region

• Highway 10 Elk River bridge – Reconstruct the bridge over Lake Orono and resurface road west of Joplin              
• Highway 10 Big Lake to Clear Lake – Reconstruct 14 miles of eastbound road surface, including shoulders, and add Reduced Conflict Intersection at County Road 23 in Becker
• Highways 28, 29, 104 in Glenwood – Resurface highways, reconstruct downtown using a Complete Streets concept, add new signal system, make accessibility improvements and mitigate flood-prone area near Pope County Fairgrounds
• US 71 north in Kandiyohi County – Resurface highway, construct turning and bypass lanes, and construct a pedestrian underpass
• Highway 19/Highway 71 in Redwood Falls – Construct two-way left turn lanes, install new signal system at County Road 101, and make accessibility improvements

Southern region

• Highway 63 Red Wing Bridge – Replace Highway 63 bridges over the Mississippi River and Highway 61 and realign the approach roads
• Highway 63 – Repave Highway 63 between Rochester and Zumbro Falls and replace four culverts
• I-35 at Faribault – Pave four miles of southbound I-35 at Faribault
• Highway 14/Highway15 New Ulm Gateway – Replace New Ulm river bridge, Front Street Bridge and build interchange at Highway 14/Highway 15/County Road 21
• Highway 22 – Construct roundabout at County Road 90, add left turn lanes and resurface from County Road 15 to County Road 90
• Highway 60 Windom to St. James – Complete four-lane expansion

For a complete list of projects by highway, visit www.mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html. Project page information includes construction schedule, traffic impacts, maps, benefits and costs.

To see the April 4 news conference video, visit https://www.ustream.tv/mndot. Media briefing materials, including lists of projects by districts, can be found at www.mndot.gov/construction/.

By Sue Roe

National Work Zone Awareness Week April 9-13 encourages safe driving through highway work zones. Theme for the week is “Work Zone Safety is Everybody’s Responsibility,” reinforcing the message that motorists and construction and maintenance workers should use extra caution in work zones.

“Everyone wants to get home safely to their families. We all must work harder to make sure no one is killed or seriously injured in a work zone this year,” said Jay Hietpas, Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology director.

Each year in the U.S., a work zone crash occurs once every 5.4 minutes. Every day, 70 work zone crashes occur that result in at least one injury. Every week, 12 work zone crashes occur that result in at least one fatality.

In Minnesota in the past four years, an average of seven people died in work zone crashes and more than 1,700 fatal or serious injury crashes occurred each year.

“Drivers and passengers are more likely to be killed in work zones than workers, but maintenance and construction crew workers have also lost their lives, been injured or had close calls,” said Hietpas. “Rear-end crashes are the most common type of work zone crash. Most of these crashes occur because of driver inattention and speeding, both behaviors we can change.”

Hietpas said MnDOT uses various technologies to alert motorists in work zones and sets speeds that are safe for navigating through it. He said when entering work zones, motorists should obey the posted speed limits, pay attention to signs and flaggers, be patient and not drive distracted.

By Sue Roe

Each year, Adopt a Highway volunteers help MnDOT keep state highways litter-free.  In 2017, their work helped the agency realize an estimated $6 million benefit. The program has been part of MnDOT’s maintenance operations since 1990.

“This is such a win-win program,” said Ann McLellan, statewide Adopt a Highway manager. “Volunteers pick up litter, keep the roadways beautiful and save taxpayers money. This is time that allows MnDOT employees to focus on highway maintenance and construction.”

Groups last year spent an estimated 239,000 hours picking up nearly 112,000 pounds of litter. They collected 36,658 bags.

There are 5,455 segments of roadways defined for the program. Of those, 1,719 segments are available for adoption.

“Most of those available segments are in Greater Minnesota. In the Twin Cities area, there are nine segments available,” said McLellan.

The volunteers, representing schools, businesses, faith-based organizations, families and individuals, clean more than 10,000 miles of Minnesota roadways each year.

Last year, 3,607 volunteer groups picked up litter. Each group has one to 25 people. Some groups have been volunteers since the program began.

The volunteers pick up items ranging from paper, bottles and cans, to tires, appliances, car parts, clothing, couches, mattresses and wood.

When volunteers find containers with hazardous materials, a trained MnDOT abandoned container triage member is called in. If the container is deemed safe, MnDOT personnel transports the container to a truck station for proper management. Hazardous materials include used oils, antifreeze, flammables, paints, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides and biohazards. When the material is deemed unsafe such as leaking or bulging containers, explosives, guns or bank dye packs 911 and the state duty officer is called in to assist.

Julie Libonate, Metro District Safety Services supervisor, said the statewide triage team is trained to deal with all types of hazardous materials. The team takes annual training from the Office of Environmental Stewardship’s regulated material management team and the Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations.

Individuals and groups who want to volunteer should go to www.mndot.gov/adopt/ to find their local area program coordinator. MnDOT provides safety training, trash bags and safety vests, and will pick up the filled bags. MnDOT also posts signs along the adopted segments of roads with the names of the volunteer groups.

Volunteers are asked to commit to the program for at least two years and pick up litter on both sides of the roadway at least twice a year. The average length of an adopted roadway is two to three miles, although some roads are longer.

More than 70 employees attended an all-day professional development event in St. Cloud March 29 aimed at bringing attention to MnDOT women employees’ contribution to transportation. Sponsored by the Strategic Women Advancing Transportation employee resource group, the event attracted participants representing all eight districts and Central Office.

The agenda included several presentations on the broad themes of the Transportation Workforce, and Transportation and Technology.

SWAT was formally organized to bring attention to the contributions of all women within MnDOT. It strives to explore whether barriers exist for women at MnDOT, and if so, employ positive, proactive ways to effect cultural changes.

SWAT and the Office of Equity and Diversity are sponsoring a livestream event Thursday, April 5, on “Preventing #MeToo: Replacing Confusion and Discomfort with Clarity and Courage.” This lunch-and-learn is the second of three sessions on sexual harassment. The event will be broadcast live from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Central Office conference rooms G13-G14.

By Rich Kemp

The Tri-party Tribal Boundary Data memo of understanding and Hwy 53 relocation projects were finalists for the 2017 Governor’s Better Government Awards. There were 60 entries in the awards and 12 were finalists. Both projects were in the Great Results category. The Pollution Control Agency took home the top award during the ceremony March 22. MnDOT received awards in 2001, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The goal of the Tri-Party Tribal Boundary Data project was to ensure MnDOT had accurate tribal boundary data for the Minnesota state road map and as a guide to MnDOT operations.  Under the agreement, MnDOT works as a liaison between the Tribes and the Census Bureau. As a result of the Tri-Party agreement, all state agencies in Minnesota and federal agencies will have current, accurate tribal boundary data. Implementation of the agreement also means that today all Minnesota state, federal government agencies and Minnesota tribes are sharing reservation, treaty and off-reservation trust land boundary data on a continuous basis. 

The primary goal of the Hwy 53 project was to develop and construct a new route for the highway near Virginia by Nov. 15, 2017. The relocation was necessary to allow for a taconite mine expansion. In nine months, MnDOT designed the project, concurrently worked on an Environmental Impact Statement and started construction. The new route was constructed and the old route was removed and returned to the underlying owner for mining in just under two years – finishing two weeks ahead of schedule. The project demonstrated an excellent safety and environmental record; over 700,000 hours worked without a lost time injury and all environmental commitments were honored – including the protection of Virginia’s public water supply.