By Joseph Palmersheim

The man walking on westbound Interstate 694 had a gun, and it was up to MnDOT to make sure he and traffic didn’t cross paths.

Four FIRST drivers and a dispatcher helped close down multiple directions of the I-35E commons at I-694 on Sept. 22 during evening rush hour after a man walking on the interstate displayed a handgun when a state trooper stopped him. The man ran up into the sound wall beams, starting a standoff that lasted nearly an hour.

FIRST drivers Shawn Gooch, Gerry Wells, Dave Klepaida and Ricky Martin diverted traffic in multiple lanes from all four cardinal directions, giving law enforcement the space they needed to negotiate with the man hiding inside the sound wall.

Of course, these lane closures weren’t planned.

“This was a unique incident given the time of day and the amount of law enforcement responding,” said Adam Fischer, FIRST supervisor. “Typically, when we do a shutdown, it’s one direction, and you might have two to three FIRST drivers there eventually helping out with the closure. In this case, multiple locations needed to be covered, with drivers by themselves diverting traffic.”

While the drivers closed the lanes, dispatcher Mike Howe coordinated the closure activity from the Regional Transportation Management Center.  
The heavier traffic at rush hour made several of the lane closures easier, Fischer noted, saying that it’s more “follow the leader” with that kind of density versus free-flowing traffic with higher speeds.

The man with the gun surrendered after talking with a negotiator from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and was taken into custody.

“This was an excellent example of what FIRST and RTMC does, and is capable of doing, at any given time for emergencies,” said John McClellan, freeway operations supervisor. “This was possible due to their experience, equipment and high expectation.”

Closing lanes for law enforcement incidents is only one of many reasons that FIRST drivers do lane shutdowns. In fact, they close lanes almost every day, mainly in response to vehicle crashes. They’ll stay on scene until the disabled vehicle can be moved. They’ll also do closures for fatal crashes and people on bridges threatening self-harm.

Sometimes, these lane closures don’t even last a minute.

“Debris in the road is a big one,” Fischer said. “It’s one of the most common reasons for shutting down an entire road for brief period of time. It takes 30 seconds for our guys to hop out and move to debris off the road, and then it’s over.”

By Sandra Schlagel, District 8 Public Affairs

After nearly a century over the flowing waters of the Cottonwood River south of Sanborn, the 90-year-old Hwy 71 bridge was replaced this summer.

The six-month, $3.6 million project provided an opportunity to build a better bridge on a major north-south route that connects International Falls to the Iowa border. In addition to improving safety for highway travelers, the replacement design includes several other enhancements.

The new bridge is wider, with 12-foot driving lanes and 10-foot shoulders, making it better able to accommodate today’s vehicles, over-the-road freight traffic and agricultural equipment.

Minor work on the approaches will improve drainage on the bridge. The new structure also will be able to handle more water flowing below it than the old bridge.

“Compared to the old bridge, we raised the elevation on the south side of the bridge, made it longer and made the channel wider under the bridge,” said Ben Sandoz, project engineer. “This means there’s less chance of the water overtopping the bridge and causing damage during a flood.”

Another safety feature of the new bridge was the addition of two wide gravel passageways under each end to encourage animals to traverse below and not wander onto the roadway.

Construction got underway April 26 and is scheduled to wrap up Oct. 22. A detour has been in place during the entire project. A Sanborn city bridge over the Cottonwood River also closed during the project to protect it from heavy highway traffic, as it is load restricted.

“The main challenge with this project is that it’s a large, three-span bridge,” Sandoz said. “It’s about 270 feet long, so it just takes longer to build. There haven’t been any major surprises so far, which is good.”

Road restrictions delayed the start, but there haven’t been any other delays.

“The project is progressing well, and the contractor has been working hard, which has kept the project on schedule,” Sandoz said. “The dry summer helped keep the water level down, which made it easier to work in the river.”

If all continues to go well in the next two weeks, the project will finish on time, with the major north-south road reopening to local traffic and statewide travelers alike.

By Anne Meyer

Two driverless, electric, six-passenger shuttles are on the move in downtown Rochester thanks to a new pilot project from MnDOT’s Connected and Automated Vehicles office.

This is the first time automated vehicles are traveling on Minnesota streets on a regular basis while testing and demonstrating connected and automated vehicle technology. They are also gathering data.

The Med City Mover offers free rides along a mile-and-a-half route with two stops. One stop is outside the Mayo Clinic’s Gonda Building and the other is outside the People’s Food Co-op. Shuttles will operate seven-days a week, except on holidays, until August 2022.

Riders are asked to fill out a short survey before and after their ride. The CAV team and its partners will gather that data and user-experience information during the yearlong project to help prepare for the safe and expanded use of the technology.

Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher joined the CAV team in Rochester on Sept. 30 to officially kick off the pilot project. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton spoke and partners First Transit, EasyMile, the Mayo Clinic and Destination Medical Center were also on hand.

“Partnership projects like this are essential to better understand the benefits, challenges and risks of automated technology,” Anderson Kelliher said. “Community engagement is also a priority. Feedback from riders about their experiences on these vehicles will help us continue to improve our transportation system and create a future that prioritizes travel options, reliability and sustainability.”

While the shuttles are driverless, an attendant is onboard to verify the safe operation of the vehicle and aid passengers as needed.

Check out the CAV website to learn more about this and other projects.

The 2021 Combined Charities Campaign is currently underway.

Using payroll deductions, employees can directly donate to charitable federations, affiliated charities and 501(c)(3) charities of their choice that support vital health, education, environmental, arts and social service programs throughout the state. Throughout the years, state of Minnesota employees have raised more than $20 million to benefit these causes.

These deductions are only valid for a single calendar year. To make a new pledge, go in Self Service and create a new deduction for next 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 and log in. 
• Select “My Pay.” 
• Select “Charitable Contributions.” 

From this page, employees can review, add or update voluntary deductions information. 
Visit the state of Minnesota Combined Charities website for more information and to learn more about participating federations.

Andy Johnson is District 1’s new assistant district engineer for program delivery. In this position he oversees plan development, hydraulics, materials, and soils and construction. His first day in the new role was Sept. 15.

Johnson has a civil engineering degree from North Dakota State University and more than 20 years of engineering experience. He began his MnDOT career in 2003 and has served as a construction project engineer, Hwy 53 relocation construction manager and assistant maintenance engineer.

He succeeds Todd Campbell, who retired this summer.