Minnesota Notes

[Roadguy]

Minnesota and Wisconsin are targeting 2028 to replace the I-535 bridge between Duluth and Superior.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/traffic-and-construction/4585132-blatnik-replacement-officially-scheduled-2028

They're waiting on Wisconsin?  Eh, better grab a chair, MnDOT.
This is going to be one of those projects where someone is gonna have to score a big wad of federal money in order for it to happen on schedule.

It will be interesting to see what type of design ends up getting used.  Be nice if we ended up with a better interchange situation on the WI end of the new bridge, too.

At the rate they're going, WisDOT is going to become IDiOT north well before then

WisDOT has a large (high cost) bridge program that has always been supported and funded by politicians on both sides of the aisle: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/6yr-hwy-impr/state-hwy/largebridge.pdf.  This program funded Wisconsin's share of the Red Wing and St. Croix crossing.  I doubt it will be an issue obtaining funding for this project from WisDOT.

[froggie]

For the Can of Worms project, part of Lower Michigan St. will be repurposed to become southbound I-35 with the northbound lanes shifted to the current southbound carriageway. Work is also expected to take place year-round, which is rare for a non-emergency project.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4609091-can-worms-work-will-go-year-round

Temporary measure during construction so they can maintain 2 lanes in each direction.  Lower Michigan will go back to being a local street at the end of the project.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Part of MN 67 shut down in Yellow Medicine County due to a fault line rupture splitting the road in two. The May picture is pretty dramatic compared to the "before"  in April.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/06/04/mndot-expanding-fault-line-forces-parts-of-highway-67-to-close-near-granite-falls/amp/

[MNHighwayMan]

I don't think that's being caused by an actual fault line (in the geologic sense of the word). What a horribly written article.

[Bickendan]

I don't think that's being caused by an actual fault line (in the geologic sense of the word). What a horribly written article.

I was going to say... earthquakes up in Minnesota seems rather unlikely.

[froggie]

Very unlikely, but not unheard of.

That said, whatever caused the road buckling on Hwy 67 does not appear to have registered on the USGS...

[triplemultiplex]

Given the location, I can safely assume the roadbed is merely slumping down a very steep slope above a bend in the Yellow Medicine River.
MNDOT's 511 places the problem right here:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.73254,-95.45300&z=15&t=U

One look at the topo and there can be little doubt.  Lay-people using jargon inappropriately, I bet they only said "fault" because the road happen to fail in a uniform line along the road centerline.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Both MN 43 spans over the Mississippi at Winona will be open as of 7/1 as the long rehabilitation project on the original bridge finally ends with a ribbon cutting.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/06/30/winona-celebrate-completion-bridge-project?fbclid=IwAR0nK-XIdAuRHvwYrwTvOzgSItYY04DbG5LhTsxuCnr9PsWDWlb972g26ZM

[discochris]

Driving through North St. Paul yesterday I was wondering why MN-120 hasn't been turned back. It's mostly just city streets. Is it because neither Ramsey or Washington county would agree on who would take it?

[froggie]

Probably moreso they want MnDOT to rebuild the road before they'll take it over.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN's new slowpoke law goes into effect Thursday, although I don't see how it's different than the previous law that existed (and it already seems clear it won't be heavily enforced). It's not a keep right except to pass law, which Minnesota does not have.

[DJ Particle]

Driving through North St. Paul yesterday I was wondering why MN-120 hasn't been turned back. It's mostly just city streets. Is it because neither Ramsey or Washington county would agree on who would take it?

Well, the section of former MN-120 just south of I-94 was turned back about 10 years ago.  It's officially two county highways...Washington has the northbound lane, and Ramsey has the southbound lane.  Originally after being turned back, each direction was only signed as its county's number.  Later on, new signage signed both directions with both highway numbers.

In a similar vein, I always thought that Portland and Park Avenues in Minneapolis from E 46th St northward should be signed with both 33 and 35, given that they're one-way streets.  *heh*

[TheHighwayMan3561]

An interesting "outsider" look at road turnback, focusing on MN 277 which will he officially handed over to Chippewa County tomorrow.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/09/14/highway-277-minnesota-cease-exist?fbclid=IwAR03zZnrHVH_FS_qZRXUYBCscRR44L0hLx4ivJ1r844AsF1uj1JcUbEoj5A

[MNHighwayMan]

An interesting "outsider" look at road turnback, focusing on MN 277 which will he officially handed over to Chippewa County tomorrow.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/09/14/highway-277-minnesota-cease-exist?fbclid=IwAR03zZnrHVH_FS_qZRXUYBCscRR44L0hLx4ivJ1r844AsF1uj1JcUbEoj5A

Well shit. There goes another one I didn't get (my own) pictures of. The picture in the article is nice, though.

[froggie]

An interesting aside...last time I was in Chippewa County, I noticed that MN 277 was on the half of the county that used all square county route shields, while the western half used all pentagon shields.  1st Ave (CSAH 6, and also MN 29 north of MN 40) was the dividing line.  I do not know if this is still the case.

[Roadguy]

Heard yesterday that a number of Corridors of Commerce projects awarded last year (https://www.dot.state.mn.us/corridorsofcommerce/2018projects.html) received no where near enough funding to actually build them... Yikes!   

[froggie]

Where did you hear that?

Not that I'm entirely surprised.  But it would be nice to look up sources & details.

[froggie]

Apparently, there's a new half-interchange on 212 in Chaska, at a newly-designated CSAH 44.  Word is the interchange opened this weekend.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Apparently, there's a new half-interchange on 212 in Chaska, at a newly-designated CSAH 44.  Word is the interchange opened this weekend.

That must have popped up really late in the construction schedule.

(Obligatory mention of MN 41 getting a nice promotion on the map )

[Roadguy]

Heard through conversation that FHWA is pushing MnDOT to upgrade their steel traffic signal poles and mast arms to meet updated wind loading standards. The last update was made in 1993 and since then the only significant change has been in 2009 to go with a galvanized (silver) finish instead of a painted finish.

[froggie]

Apparently, there's a new half-interchange on 212 in Chaska, at a newly-designated CSAH 44.  Word is the interchange opened this weekend.

That must have popped up really late in the construction schedule.

It's what Monte would call a "pop-up project".  The project was initiated by Carver County but led by Chaska.  MnDOT mainly provided some financial and technical support.

[froggie]

Speaking of "pop-up projects", Washington County is pursuing a new interchange at MN 36 and CSAH 15/Manning Ave.  Construction on a 5-ramp par-clo (the current interchange concept) is proposed for 2021.

[triplemultiplex]

Speaking of "pop-up projects", Washington County is pursuing a new interchange at MN 36 and CSAH 15/Manning Ave.  Construction on a 5-ramp par-clo (the current interchange concept) is proposed for 2021.

Good.
That whole MN 36 corridor should be a freeway out to the river, despite what those whiners in Oak Park Heights think.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Speaking of "pop-up projects", Washington County is pursuing a new interchange at MN 36 and CSAH 15/Manning Ave.  Construction on a 5-ramp par-clo (the current interchange concept) is proposed for 2021.

Good.
That whole MN 36 corridor should be a freeway out to the river, despite what those whiners in Oak Park Heights think.

Agreed, but I'll also settle for everything inside 694 being one before they finish the OPH mess.

[DJ Particle]

That whole MN 36 corridor should be a freeway out to the river, despite what those whiners in Oak Park Heights think.

Supposedly, due to the traffic increase from the new bridge causing jams at the lights, they want the freeway now.  But I haven't heard anything official to that effect.

Too little too late, NIMBYs