By Nick Carpenter

Within minutes of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in August, Mn/DOT’s Photogrammetric Unit set in motion the process for taking aerial photos of the destruction site.

“Our number one priority was to get clearance for a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft because the air-space had been restricted,” said Pete Jenkins, unit supervisor.

The department needed permission from the FBI and other authorities before aircraft could fly over the area and take photos. A helicopter was needed for taking oblique—or bird’s-eye-view—photos of the site while a fixed-wing aircraft allowed for direct vertical photography.

Jenkins said the department was in immediate contact with AERO-METRIC, a major provider of professional geospatial services and long-time department consultant, which had equipment in the area to tackle this job.

Oblique photos of the wreckage were taken daily for two days subsequent to the collapse. Vertical photos were taken daily for nine days and are now captured every third day.

The images are being used to document the recovery efforts and aid in the ongoing investigation of the collapse, Jenkins said.     

Photos of the I-35W bridge site from Aug. 2 onward are available at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/i35wbridge/photos/.    

By Craig Wilkins

Mn/DOT’s Hwy 212 project topped the 2007 Roads & Bridges Top 10 Project list.

The publication compiles its annual list based on project size, cost, innovations, aesthetics, complexity and other criteria. Projects were also required to be in the design or construction phase during the past 18 months.

The Mn/DOT project uses the design-build model for construction.

Design firms, engineers and state transportation agencies nominated more than 50 North American projects ranging in cost from $500,000 to more than $5 billion.

When completed in 2008, Hwy 212 will include nearly 12 miles of four-lane freeway on new alignment that will include 28 bridges, seven interchanges, bus-only shoulders, park-and-ride lots, noise walls and other amenities.

It will extend from Eden Prairie to west of Dahlgren where it will connect with the old Hwy 212 alignment.

The overall project cost is approximately $238 million.

“Every year the process of forming the Top 10 list becomes more and more difficult,” said Bill Wilson, Roads & Bridges editorial director. “This year’s winner is probably the most complex project I have ever seen.”

For more information:

• Hwy 212 project

News reports last month suggested that there is imminent danger related to problems associated with the decorative granite panels on the Transportation Building in St. Paul.  

That’s not the case, said Mark Wikelius, Mn/DOT's director of Human Resources and Administration.

“I would like to relay assurances from Mn/DOT and Department of Administration building officials that Transportation Building employees and visitors are not in any danger from the panels falling,” said Wikelius.

He said the panels are a concern because rust has weakened their metal supports. Rusting causes the supports to expand, pushing the panels outward.

“Mn/DOT and the Department of Administration, the building’s owner, have taken steps required to ensure safety until the panels and their supporting structures are repaired,” he said.

Measures taken include additional cribbing to prevent a falling panel from hitting the ground, covering walkways and restricting access in areas where concrete and other debris may fall.

Mn/DOT and the Department of Administration have sought funds from the Legislature for repairs to the façade since 2002 without success. Wikelius said the Department of Administration will try again and seek $18 million in bonding authority during the next legislative session for the repairs.

By Nick Carpenter

Todd Haglin began his first day as Mn/DOT’s new safety director on Sept. 19.

Haglin is part of the Risk Management Section of the Office of Human Resources and Administration. His main duties include implementing the recommendations of the Department Safety Assessment recently conducted by Marsh USA, Inc.

Previously, Haglin spent the last 18 years working for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry OSHA division. He’s worked as a safety investigator and, most recently, provided safety consultation to Minnesota companies statewide.

Haglin said his new job will allow him to use the knowledge and experience he gained while working for OSHA.

“Mn/DOT has such a variety of activity,” he said. “Working here will allow me to continue to learn much more about safety and health in the workplace.”

A certified safety professional, Haglin graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial education. He received his master’s degree in industrial safety from UMD in 1989.  

His phone number is 651/366-3079.