By Rich Kemp

Road reconstruction, major bridge construction, new interchanges and road resurfacing were a big part of the 2018 construction season. 

“This has been an excellent year for our road and bridge construction work,” said Commissioner Charlie Zelle. “We made great progress on some significantly large projects, and we completed hundreds of smaller projects. All of the work has made our state roadways safer and more reliable.”

The $1.1 billion road and bridge construction program in 2018 included 253 projects. An additional 49 projects, valued at $32 million, helped improve safety at railroad crossings, and made improvements on runways and terminals at regional airports.

For a complete list of 2018 projects and their status, see www.mndot.gov/roadwork/current.html. Construction highlights include:

Twin Cities

• I-35W@94 Minneapolis – Rebuilt the Franklin Avenue and 38th Street bridges and reconstructed the ramp from I-94 west to 11th Street as part of this four-and-a-half year project reconstructing 2.5 miles of I-35W near downtown Minneapolis.
  
  
• Hwy 149/Smith Avenue High Bridge, St. Paul – Bridge is anticipated to reopen in early December as crews put the finishing touches on the bridge portion of the larger Hwy 149 project.
    
• Hwy 169, Champlin – Replaced two deteriorating bridges, realigned and resurfaced the road, and made other repairs and safety improvements.
  
  
• Hwy 169, Belle Plaine, Jordan – Resurfaced 13 miles of the road between Hwy 19 and Hwy 282, constructed a reduced conflict intersection at Hwy 59 in Jordan, and installed cable median barrier.
  
  
• I-35W/I-35E North Metro Split – Made progress on the six-mile project in Chisago and Washington counties, which will continue through next year and includes resurfacing from the split to Hwy 8; replacing the Hwy 97 bridge with a diverging diamond interchange; replacing the northbound I-35W bridge over I-35E and the westbound Hwy 8 bridge over I-35.

North   

• Hwy 1 Eagles Nest Lake area near Ely – Reconstructed 5.7 miles of Hwy 1, straightened the alignment and flattened hills.
  
  
• Hwy 2 and Bingo Palace Road/Cass County Road 75, Cass Lake – Reconstructed Hwy 2 intersection with County Road 75/Bingo Palace Road as a reduced conflict intersection.

• Hwy 2 Kennedy Bridge in East Grand Forks – Built a new pier and replaced the bridge deck. When finished this fall, the bridge will feature a new layout that maintains four lanes of traffic and adds a protected walkway connecting the Greenway Trail on each side of the river.
  
  
• Hwy 11 and Hwy 72, Baudette/Rainy River International bridge replacement – Worked on the $39.3 million project to replace the Baudette/Rainy River International bridge. New bridge is expected to be open for traffic in 2020, and then the old bridge will be torn down.

• I-35, Pine County – Resurfaced seven miles of pavement and replaced two bridges, with plans to replace two more bridges in 2019.
  
  
• Hwy 38 north of Grand Rapids – Resurfaced 14.3 miles of pavement, installed 41 new culverts and improved drainage.
  
  
• Hwy 46, Deer River – Reclaimed/resurfaced 10 miles of pavement, replaced four centerline culverts and constructed turn lanes.

• Commissioner Charlie Zelle and Glenwood Mayor Scott Formo, along with other state and local representatives, gather at the intersection of Hwy 28/29 in Glenwood for the Complete Streets ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo by Emma Olson

  Hwy 71, Park Rapids – Completed a 20-mile resurfacing project on Hwy 71, from Park Rapids to Itasca State Park.
  
  
• Hwy 75, Crookston Bypass – Made bridge and concrete repairs, reconstructed shoulders and replaced pavement.
  
  
• I-94 from Hwy 79 to Hwy 114 near Brandon – Wrapped up the two-year project that included resurfacing both directions of I-94 between Hwy 79 and Hwy 114, and replacing the decks on the Hwy 79 and Hwy 114 bridges.
  
  
• I-94, Lake Latoka near Alexandria – Re-opened westbound bridge. Work completed this year was part of an overall project that includes replacing both bridges over Lake Latoka. The eastbound bridge is scheduled for replacement in 2019.
  
  
• Hwy 28, Hwy 29 and Hwy 104, Glenwood – Resurfaced and reconstructed Hwy 28, Hwy 29 and Hwy 104 in Glenwood to address pavement concerns, pedestrian accessibility requirements, traffic flow, utility needs and boulevard improvements.
  
  
• Hwy 59, Detroit Lakes to Becker County Line – Completed resurfacing project on Hwy 59 from Willow Street to south of the Otter Tail/Becker County Line. The project included grinding down the roundabout to meet current design standards.
  
  
• Hwy 78, Battle Lake to I-94 – Resurfaced 22 miles of Hwy 78, replaced 10 centerline culverts between Battle Lake and Ashby, and constructed three new right-turn lanes.
  
  
• Hwy 106, Deer Creek to Hwy 10 – Completed the seven-mile construction project on Hwy 106 near New York Mills and Deer Creek, including using cold-in-place pavement recycling, shoulder widening, and turn lane installation at County Road 52. Crews also replaced sidewalks and corner pedestrian ramps in Deer Creek to improve pedestrian accessibility.

Central  

• Hwy 10 in Elk River – Completed the two-year project that removed and constructed two bridges spanning Lake Orono, reconstructed portions of Hwy 10, upgraded a signal system and intersection, and installed a multiuse trail for pedestrians.
  
  
• Hwy 10, Clear Lake to Big Lake – Reconstructed 14 miles of eastbound Hwy 10. The project also is installing a new Reduced Conflict Intersection at Hwy 10/Hwy 23 in Becker, and has replaced aging underground pipes and made other improvements. After the project is completed, all of Hwy 10 between Elk River and St. Cloud will have been resurfaced in the past eight years.
  
  
• Business Hwy 371/S Sixth St, Brainerd – Completed this $5.7 million reconstruction project, which includes a newly redesigned five-and-three lane roadway, a smoother road surface, updated underground city utilities, new pedestrian sidewalks and approaches, as well as updated signal systems and road signs. This was the last project for Joe Cameron, District 3 construction project manager, who retired Oct. 16 after 54 years of state service.

West

• Hwy 19 and Hwy 71, Redwood Falls – Constructed a two-way left-turn lane, added a new signal system, replaced two signal systems and made many ADA improvements.
  
  

• Crews work on a pedestrian underpass as part of the Hwy 71 project near New London. Photo by Al Setrum

  Hwy 71 North, Kandiyohi County – Resurfaced nine miles of Hwy 71 from Hwy 23 in Willmar to north of Hwy 9 in New London. In addition, installed six left-turn lanes, a right-turn lane and a bypass lane, as well as a pedestrian underpass as part of a DNR trail extension from New London to Sibley State Park.  
  
  
• Hwy 212, Montevideo to Granite Falls – Resurfaced Hwy 212, replaced a culvert and the lining of existing culverts.  

South

• Hwy 4, St. James – Reconstructed 1.6 miles of Hwy 4, including adding two new mini-roundabouts and back-in diagonal parking in the downtown area. Completed finishing work and tree planting this fall.
  
  
• Hwy 14/Hwy 15 in New Ulm (New Ulm Gateway) – Completed several blocks in the town of New Ulm and a bridge replacement over Front Street with a roundabout. This winter crews will work on the Minnesota River Bridge and the bridge for the new interchange at Hwy 14 and Hwy 15. 

• Hwy 14 and I-35 bridges near Owatonna – Replaced 12 bridges south of Owatonna in two years. Hwy 14 westbound lanes are open and traffic should return to regular lanes on I-35 in early November.

• Hwy 22, Mankato to Mapleton – Reconstructed Hwy 22, replaced a bridge and built a roundabout at Blue Earth County Road 29. Began the Hwy 22 Victory Memorial Drive landscaping portion of the project, which will continue with plantings in 2019.  

• Piers and approach spans were built on the Wisconsin side of the Red Wing bridge this summer. The bridge is expected to open to traffic in fall 2019. Photo by Zenith Tech Inc.

  I-35 southbound, Faribault – Repaved four miles of southbound I-35, repaved the Hwy 21 exit ramp and extended the deceleration from I-35 southbound to Hwy 21.
  
  
• Hwy 43, Winona Bridge – Worked to replace the deck, reinforce the trusses and replace the approach spans on the historic Winona Bridge.
  
  
• Hwy 52 - Completed two separate paving projects from south of Preston to north of Harmony, and from Hwy 63 in Rochester to I-90. The Rochester portion also included installing cable median barrier.

• Hwy 60, Windom to Mountain Lake – The last gap in the Hwy 60 four-lane expansion from Sioux Falls to Mankato is expected to be completed by early December.

• Hwy 63 – Completed two separate paving projects this year, from Rochester to Zumbro Falls and from Zumbro Falls to south of Lake City. Both projects included culvert replacement work that required detours.
  
  
• Hwy 63, Red Wing Bridge – Built piers and approach spans on the Wisconsin side. Traffic opened on the Hwy 63 buttonhook ramp on the Minnesota side that connects to a new signal intersection with Hwy 61. Crews are building the river pier and a pier on the Minnesota side, with the bridge expected to open to traffic in fall 2019.

By Sue Roe

The first winter weather has already appeared in most parts of the state and while that might have caused some Minnesotans to reluctantly reach for their snow scrapers and boots, MnDOT maintenance crews were prepared.

“For the most part we’re all ready. The first winter event always works out some bugs,” said Cole Albrecht, supervisor of the LeSueur Subrea in District 7. “The trucks have already been out and we’re still adding equipment to some and will be throughout the winter.”

Crews at the agency’s 150 truck stations stayed busy outfitting the trucks with sanders, wings and plows. Most maintenance employees returned from their summer work assignments in late October and began working on getting equipment ready for winter.

“We’ve been checking cutting edges on all wings and plows, cleaning brine makers and getting ready to make brine, training new personnel, cleaning up our yards and winterizing summer equipment,” said Steve Baublitz, supervisor at the Pike Lane and Nopeming truck stations in District 1.

“We’re getting trucks rigged up and calibrating sanders,” said Holly Johnson, supervisor at three truck stations in the Virginia area in District 1. “We’ll be concentrating on more pre-wetting this year so we’ve added tanks to the trunks. We’ll be trying different liquids out on black ice and slippery bridges. We hope that is a tool we can rely on.”

More than 100 employees attended the annual snowplow operators training, or SPOT, at Camp Ripley in September and October. Since the training began in 2004, more than 1,900 snowplow operators have been trained.

The training doesn’t end with SPOT though. When crews get back from their summer work assignments, they have shop meetings to discuss safety and proper plowing techniques and clean up.

“We had our ‘getting ready for winter’ meeting Oct. 2,” said Johnson. “We try to have regular five-minute safety talks pertaining to what’s coming up or what’s new.”

New snowplow operators spend time driving the routes they will have for winter snow removal, according to Mary Wenner, supervisor at the Mendota Heights Truck Station.

“It’s a time for the new operators to go on the road, learn their routes and learn the hazards of their routes,” she said. “We send them out with a seasoned employee who knows the route and can show them hazards, where the turnarounds are at the end of the route and bad drains or broken curb lines that didn’t get repaired this year.”

By Shannon Fiecke, Research Services and Library

Salting roadways during the winter can cause significant corrosion to bridges. In 2013, while preparing the Hwy 169 Nine Mile Creek Bridge for repairs, inspectors encountered two concrete beams with severe deterioration that were beyond the scope of routine repair.

To repair the girders, the Bridge Office tried a novel method developed in Michigan: placing steel reinforcement cages around the damaged beam ends and encasing the ends in concrete through a process called “shotcrete.”

The repair was more extensive than that studied in Michigan, so MnDOT monitored the repaired beams monthly, and, when the Nine Mile Creek Bridge was replaced in 2017, sent the removed girders to a University of Minnesota laboratory for load testing.

When tested to failure (see video), the strength of the repaired beams actually exceeded the strength of the undamaged beams, researchers found.

“The fact that we tested good girders alongside repaired girders gives us a high level of confidence in this method,” said Paul Pilarski, Metro North Regional Bridge Construction engineer.

The findings will help MnDOT and other transportation agencies avoid lengthy traffic closures and costly repairs for repairing severely deteriorated beams. Although such cases are rare, they might have previously involved removing the bridge deck to replace the damaged beams and recasting the deck and barrier.

Carol Freiermuth, accounting technician in the Office of Financial Management, died Nov. 2.

Freiermuth, 59, worked in the Cash and Collections Unit processing daily deposits for the department. She transferred to MnDOT in February 2017 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. 

“Carol’s smile and positive energy will be missed,” said Betty Lucas, Office of Financial Management. “She was a delight to have at MnDOT.”       

Freiermuth is survived by her children, April (Steven) Sickler, and Edward Freiermuth; three grandsons, Brayden, Burke and Nolan Sickler; mother, Eileen Beissel; siblings, Jim (Pat) Beissel, Kathleen (Gary) Hovel, and Tom Beissel; and by many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Memorial services were held Nov. 6 in Hastings.

By Mary McFarland Brooks

More than 100 people attended the Civil Rights office recognition event last week at the James J. Hill Center in St. Paul, where 10 transportation partners and two MnDOT employees of were honored. All of the honorees are involved in small business and workforce training, hiring and mentoring.

Those attending the event included community-based training organizations, prime contractors, small business resource centers, unions, small businesses and workforce participants. 

The event acknowledged both internal and external efforts throughout the state to diversify MnDOT’s construction and maintenance projects, according to Kim Collins, Office of Civil Rights director.

“The state of Minnesota and MnDOT are committed to advancing equity through the use of negotiated contracts, training the workforce for construction careers and expanding opportunities for small businesses in the planning phases of road and bridge projects,” Collins said. “With help from our transportation partners, we also have exceeded agency goals for increased minorities and women joining the construction workforce.”

From 2016-18, MnDOT increased diversity in its contractor workforce from 14.5 percent to 18.1 percent for minorities and from 5.5 percent to 6.1 percent for women.

The following attendees were honored at the event:

• Tim Farrell, Isaiah
• Joelynne Hanson, HanSon Custom Crushing, Inc., and Association of Women Contractors
• Yolanda McIntosh, Lunda Construction
• Norma Miller, Minneapolis Urban League
• Craig Hanson, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe/Tribal Council
• Brian Farmer, Cement Masons, Plasterers and Shophands JATC Local 633
• Jamie Theis, J.L. Theis, Inc.
• J.D. Pride, Pride Cleanup, LLC
• Sirish Samba, Sambatek, Inc.
• Mel Reeves, HIRE Minnesota
• Mike Leegard, MnDOT
• Kim Collins, MnDOT

By Rich Kemp               

Minnesota IT Services, the information technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, awarded three “best of the best” awards to MNIT@DOT staff during a ceremony Nov. 1.

Winning awards were Kim Roberson – Manager of the Year; Mike Reynolds – Employee of the Year; and MNIT team at the Regional Transportation Management Center – Team of the Year.

“We have some exceptional performers at MNIT that partner with MnDOT to help shape many transportation services,” said Jim Close, MNIT chief business technology officer at MnDOT. “These individuals shine brightly and so do those around them as MNIT delivers integrated IT services. These awards are a reflection of all of MNIT@DOT’s efforts. I’m very proud of our MNIT staff’s accomplishments toward being positive contributors to the state.”

Roberson manages a group of five supervisors and more than 40 IT staff who work hand-in-hand with MnDOT business partners to provide strategic technology planning, application portfolio lifecycle management and technical support for MnDOT’s business applications.

Reynolds performs multiple roles for MnDOT's large and expanding Transportation Asset Management System or TAMS, where he ensures that project phases, releases and product iterations are delivered on time.

“Mike continually seeks better and more efficient ways to do things through technology solutions, not only in the work he does but how his customers/end users also do theirs,” said John Solberg, MNIT application portfolio manager at MnDOT.

The MNIT team at the RTMC provides dedicated services for IT app and system architecture, management and support.

“I truly appreciate the dedicated team of MNIT staff at the RTMC,” said Brian Kary, MnDOT RTMC director of traffic operations. “It is helpful to have an IT team on site that can develop software tools that support our operations, manage a complex network of field devices, and respond to issues in a timely manner. The MNIT staff are passionate about their work and provide high quality support to the RTMC.”