By Jesse Johnson, Metro Communications

Minneapolis residents and visitors will soon be able to cross the Mississippi River again between downtown and Northeast Minneapolis. Starting on Oct. 30, the Third Ave. (Hwy. 65) Bridge near St. Anthony Falls will reopen to pedestrian, bike and vehicle traffic after being closed since January 2021.

The bridge is historically significant because of its role in connecting downtown to Northeast Minneapolis since it originally opened in 1918. It is the first reinforced-concrete arch bridge over the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities and features an unusual and elegant reverse “S” curve shape to accommodate St. Anthony Falls.

Over the course of its 105-year history, this iconic bridge has undergone two rehabilitations, the addition of new highway lighting, and repairs to expansion joints, concrete, and the foundation. The current construction project, which began in May 2020, has included major repairs to extend the life of the bridge and improve safety and accessibility for all users.

Once the bridge reopens, it will have updated lighting, repaired bridge piers and restored pilasters, and new ornamental railing reflective of the original design. It will also have a new deck, pavement, striping and 13-foot-wide pedestrian and bike paths on both sides of the bridge, protected by a concrete barrier.

“We are thrilled that this iconic bridge has been rehabilitated with such care by Metro District and are excited to see it reopen for continued vehicular and pedestrian use” said Katie Haun Schuring, Third Ave. Bridge historian with the Office of Environmental Stewardship.

The Third Ave. bridge project team is hosting an event on Sat., Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to commemorate the reopening, which will include remarks from MnDOT officials, a ribbon cutting, guided historic bridge tours and other family-friendly activities.

For more information on the reopening event and to learn more about the project, including bridge history, visit the Hwy 65/Third Ave. Bridge webpage.

Most MnDOT projects are highways that go through a city where stakeholders tend to be larger organizations. The E. 7th St./Arcade St. project starts in downtown St. Paul on E. 7th St., travels east to Arcade St. and then north to Maplewood. Throughout this 4.5-mile stretch, the landscape changes from industrial to small business, shopping centers, residential, educational institutions and parkland.

Because of this, relationship-building has been the fuel for this project from the outset and across every phase of the Metro District’s public engagement efforts. This has included building strong connections within the internal team, as well as with consultants, the school district, municipal partners and elected officials. The strongest partners have been the people in the affected communities, who are the experts and historians of their own neighborhood and streets.  

There are three schools directly on the project path, along with one higher education institution and two youth centers within a quarter-mile, so the Metro public engagement team project team partnered with Saint Paul Public Schools in the Safe-Routes-to-School Study. When assessing the community needs of the project, the team worked with the East Side Area Business Association, Payne Phalen Community Council and the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council to increase awareness of the survey. MnDOT also worked with Indigenous Roots Cultural Art Center, a community-based organization with strong ties to the community and the metro, to create a poster and ad for the project survey. With the community councils and community-based organizations sharing the project survey with their networks, the public engagement team was able to significantly increase the survey completion rate.

Because of the long-time work in building these relationships with local partners, the Metro public engagement team was attuned to potential gaps in the process. When the team went out to the public with design alternatives in spring of 2022, they realized that they were not hearing enough from the BIPOC community, especially business owners. To rectify this and actively go out to the community, the team looked at the demographics of the East Side. Using Saint Paul School District data, the team identified the top four languages, other than English, spoken at the three schools on the project: Spanish, Hmong, Somali and Karen. This helped the team determine the language needs for marketing material and direct outreach to business owners.

Metro public engagement staff worked with the East Side Area Business Association to host a Latinx business meeting in partnership with the Latino Economic Development Center, and an Asian-owned business meeting in collaboration with the Hmong Chamber of Commerce. The public engagement staff also worked with the East Side Neighborhood Development Company to host a meeting with the newly formed East Side Black-Owned Business Network.  

Engaging these various stakeholders offered MnDOT valuable feedback and helped the agency determine which design alternative would best meet the needs of everyone in the community, including both residents and business owners.

By Doug Mack

Minnesota Management and Budget has launched the 2024 Open Enrollment website, which includes details on signing up for, changing or waiving benefits for 2024.

The open enrollment period begins on Oct. 26 and will end on Nov. 15 at 11:59 p.m. The website includes 2024 premium rates, along with other information on employee benefits such as:

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long-term Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Manager's Income Protection Program
• Pre-tax Expense Accounts
  

By Frida Alvarez, Office of Equity & Diversity

The next round of MnDOT’s Mentor and Sponsor Program is now open for applications, which close on Nov. 30. The program itself will begin in January and last one year.

The Mentor and Sponsor Program helps employees thrive in the workplace by connecting them with more experienced peers to receive guidance and feedback, identify strengths and opportunities, plan professional goals, build a network and just chat.

Anyone interested in participating in the program, either as a sponsor/mentor or a mentee, is encouraged to attend one of the informational sessions held on Teams. The first was held on Oct. 5 and the next one will be on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. (Teams link)

To apply for the  Mentor and Sponsor Program, complete this online application. If you have any questions, please contact Frida Alvarez, diversity and inclusion organizational development specialist in the Office of Equity & Diversity.

Full details of the program and application process were included in the Oct. 4 issue of Newsline.

By Kim Roberson, Minnesota IT Services

To mark the twentieth anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, throughout October, Minnesota IT Services will be sending state employees tips and resources to ensure that everyone has the tools and knowledge to stay safe and secure online.   
To put it simply, cybercriminals want to access Minnesota’s systems and valuable or sensitive data. MNIT relies on every state employee to stay ahead of cyber-attacks. By utilizing a few important best practices from MNIT, we can all improve our cyber habits to protect the important information entrusted to us.  
Watch for emails from MNIT or check out its public website and social media in October for more tips:   

• MNIT on X (Twitter)  
• MNIT on Facebook  
• MNIT’s public website  

You can also find information and resources on Cybersecurity Awareness Month from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.  

By Doug Mack

The annual Combined Charities Campaign has officially begun, starting on Oct. 1 and running through Oct. 31.

The campaign encourages Minnesota state employees to consider making a recurring donation, through payroll deductions, to support charitable federations, affiliated charities and 501(c) (3) charities of their choice. Since its founding in 1991, this campaign has raised more than $25 million to benefit organizations and causes around the state.

WCCO anchor Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield hosted a kick-off event on Oct. 3, and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan promoted the fundraising campaign in a video message to all state employees.

“In the face of monumental changes to our world, communities and workplace, you’ve risen to the occasion and as state employees, you’ve stepped up to support Minnesotans in need by designating a portion of your paycheck to go to charitable foundations in our communities,” Flanagan said.  “From tackling food insecurity to helping Minnesotans with health challenges, the participating federations are doing incredible work to make life easier for Minnesotans who need an extra hand.”

These deductions are only valid for a single calendar year. Any payroll deduction will begin in January and run through December.

To set up new or edit existing deductions:

• Go to the Self Service Portal (state.mn.us/employee) and log in.
• Select “My Pay”
• Select “Charitable Deductions.” From this page, you can review, add, or update voluntary deduction information.

For more information and to learn more about participating federations, visit the State of Minnesota Combined Charities website.

The latest issue of New Library Materials is available.  This month’s collection close-up book is “Roadways for People: Rethinking Transportation Planning and Engineering,” by Lynn Peterson, who will be one of the featured speakers at the 2023 CTS Transportation Research Conference on Nov. 2.

New Library Materials is a compilation of resources added to the library collection during the previous month. Visit the library website and click New Library Materials to sign up. Questions and feedback are welcome at Ask a Librarian.

By Doug Mack

MnDOT’s use of cutting-edge technology has helped the agency improve the safety of its bridges – and now, as a bonus, the program has been honored with a 2023 State IT Recognition Award from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers. Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger and Bridge Inspection Engineer Jennifer Wells accepted the award, in the category of Emerging and Innovative Technologies, at a ceremony on Oct. 11 in Minneapolis, at the NASCIO annual conference.

The drone bridge inspections take advantage of 3D modeling to provide better quality data and asset management, improve safety for bridge inspectors and the public and reduce traffic delays.

“Our Bridge Office and a project consultant worked with the vendor to develop software for the Microsoft Hololens 2 headset,” Wells explained in a video produced for the award ceremony. “This let users like me view the virtual bridge in a hologram, take measurements, add notes, classify defects and more.”

Safety was a particular goal of the project, explained State Bridge Engineer Ed Lutgen. “Ensuring the safety of bridges in Minnesota is a primary responsibility for MnDOT and we are always looking for ways to innovate,” he said. “Newer technology including drones, 3D digital twins and augmented reality have helped improve the quality of bridge inspections while helping the safety of our staff and traveling public through decreased traffic disruptions.”

The drone bridge inspection program was one of three State of Minnesota projects to receive NASCIO awards, with the other two honoring the state’s Frontline Worker Pay Program and the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Service’s virtual assistant.
“We are so proud to be recognized as a national leader in how we use technology to improve the lives, safety, and experiences of Minnesotans,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. “We’re committed to building new, creative ways to use technology to deliver the best services to Minnesotans.”

By Doug Mack

Veterans Day, which honors American military veterans of all eras, is officially observed on Nov. 11, the anniversary of the formal end of World War I. (This year, Nov. 11 is a Saturday, so the Veterans Day holiday will be observed at both the state and federal level on Friday, Nov. 10.)

In recognition of the day, and to highlight some of the needs of current military members, MnDOT’s Veterans Employee Resource Group invites agency employees to participate in the group’s Veterans Day Lunch and Learn on Thursday, Nov. 9 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The event will feature a presentation by Troy T. Gjerde, soldier and family readiness specialist with the Minnesota Army National Guard, on the topic of “What National Guard and reserve members and their families may need before, during and after deployment.”

The Lunch and Learn will be held on Teams via this link.

To learn more about the Veterans Employee Resource Group, visit the group’s page on iHUB.

By Joseph Palmersheim

Close to 200 Minnesota schools and thousands of students participated in Walk and Bike to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The annual event, sponsored by Minnesota Safe Routes to School, encouraged students and parents to try out a new, healthy habit that increases their physical activity, reduces traffic congestion and strengthens connections between families, schools and communities.

“Thanks to a new Minnesota state law that requires all public school students to learn safe walking and bicycling skills at the beginning of the school year, Walk and Bike to School Day is more important than ever,” said Dave Cowan, MnDOT Safe Routes to School coordinator. “MnDOT has resources and educational materials to help schools meet this new rule and help make Walk to School Day a success.”

Schools could join in Minnesota’s Walk and Bike to School Day photo contest by submitting photos on the MnSRTS Facebook page with the hashtag #mnwalks.

Even families who live far from school and typically ride the school bus or take a family vehicle, could participate through a “bus stop and walk” event. Participating schools designated a drop-off location within a half-mile from the school and volunteers helped supervise the walk and assist with crossing streets.

Walk and Bike to School Day also encouraged parents and community members to begin thinking about assessing and improving the walkability and bikeability of their neighborhoods, because children often walk to community destinations.

By Frida Alvarez, Office of Equity & Diversity

As discussed in the last issue of Newsline, MnDOT’s Latino-American ERG invites all agency employees to celebrate Día de los Muertos at a Lunch and Learn. The original article listed the wrong date – the event will be held Nov. 2, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

This will be a hybrid event, held in-person at the MnDOT Training and Conference Center in Shoreview and online via Teams.

The Lunch and Learn will discuss the history of Día de los Muertos and give instructions for making your own ofrendas—this is a hands-on event for anyone interested in getting crafty! The ERG will provide materials to people attending the in-person event.

By Doug Mack

Can you name the place pictured below? This autumnal photo is from a MnDOT employee and the satellite image is from the 511 website and app.

If you think you know the answer, email Newsline editor Doug Mack. The first three people to submit the correct answer will receive the fame and glory of having their names listed in the next issue of Newsline.

Answer to the last Puzzler: Oliver Bridge (Hwy 39) near Duluth.  The first people to get it right were Brian Unbehaun (Central Office), Chelsey Brummer (Office of Materials & Road Research) and, in a tie for third place, Dave Larson (Office of Materials & Road Research) and Vicki Brophy (Office of Construction & Innovative Contracting). Congrats to them and thanks to everyone who played! This was the most popular Puzzler yet, with about 100 answers.