Minnesota

[The High Plains Traveler]

The Plymouth and Lowry Bridges

The Plymouth Ave Bridge was built in 1983 and was the first segmental concrete girder bridge built in Minnesota. However it was not aged well even in that short time. The post-tensioned cables were discovered to be corroded in a routine inspection, and the bridge was shut down October 2010. After further review, they determined the bridge could support it's own dead load, so it was reopened to pedestrians in January 2011. Bicyclists and pedestrians are restricted to the south sidewalk, they're not a allowed onto the roadway or north sidewalk.


Note the detour sign. 10 points if someone can tell me two things wrong with it. 100 points if not from here.

Nothing to make you feel old like having a bridge that opened when you lived in an area have to be replaced. As far as the county route marker, it's probably inadvertant but this perfectly matches the design used in Hennepin County before they introduced the pentagon. When I moved there in 1977, the route markers on what was then properly called "The Crosstown" (Hennepin County 62) had a longer vertical than horizontal dimension like these. I have seen photos of markers on other roads from an earlier time that look like that too.

[Mdcastle]

The did get one of them right, on an orange sign though, I'll post it now that my "quiz" has been answered.
Mostly right, anyway. I'm not sure if Hennepin County is starting to use tricolored pentagons on their own, there's a few on the former US 212 and MN 101, but I'm not sure if those were installed by Mn/DOT.



I wonder if the contractors had some old specs lying around and used them, or if Hennepin county sent them old ones, or as you suggest, just coincidence. I have seen some strange temporary signs- "Signal Ahead" with the green on top- three of them on one project, a detour MN 89 sign on a white county blank, A a US 61 sign for a MN 361 detour, a US 80 sign in wisconsin.

[Mdcastle]

When the Bridge Fell, Part I of III

There's so much commentary out there already that I'll keep may comments short and just related to the photos I took. The dramatic photos you see on the web are from people that happend to be there with their cameras before the area was sealed off, or press with access to helicopters. My photos are just what a member of the public could see. For a period of time anywhere you could get a picture was closed of, allegedly for "safety" reasons, but in reality because they didn't want anyone to see and take piectures of them removing the bodies.



The bridge in happier times. West River Parkway passes under the bridge, it's fortunate that no-one happened to be underneath the bridge at the time.


Close-up of a plaque in Mill Ruins park giving information about the bridges in the area. The I-35W bridge is at lower center.

The public's first "view" of the bridge was when the opened the Stone Arch Bridge once the bodies had been removed. Even with a zoom lens you can just barely see it, between the dam and the 10th Street Bridge.


Still there was quite a turnout


View from the University Ave Bridge.



The view from the 10 Street bridge, by the time it reopened they were well on the way to remove the concrete. The metal was loaded onto barges and stashed on Minneapolis Park Land a nearby. Everbody sued everyone and the metal was evidence and couldn't be touched, and finally the Minneapolis Park Board threatned to sue also for not removing the steel. Finally the parties agreed on a way it could be cut into manageable pieces and moved, it now sits in an enclose warehouse in Afton






The 10 Street Bridge temporary configuration looking north, Ignore the bad image, Photobucket and/or this board is being a jerk and not allowing me to show two good images unless the code for a bad one is left.

[Mdcastle]

Twin Cities Highway Scenes


The Wakota Bridge under construction. In the background is the new westbound bridge, once they fixed the cracking, and in the forground demolition is finishing up on the old 1950s tied arch bridge. Originally built for the MN 100 beltway this was the last remnant of pre-interstate infrastructure in on an interstate in the Twin Cities.


The 10th Ave Bridge, built 1929. In the background is the old I-35W bridge


Last remnent of the old Henepin Ave Bridge


The 3rd Ave Bridge, built 1918


The new MN 25 bridge at Belle Plaine, yet another boring replacement of a through truss bridge


Construction of the Margaret Street overpass over MN 36. The famous North Saint Paul is being protected by sheet piling

Big Green Sign at the MN 5 / MN 312 diverge when the new road only extended to Dell Road. The orange Dell Road replaced a previous County 4 shield when that was the terminus


Sign waiting to be installed during the construction of the final US 212 construction, MN 41 was the third temporary ending.


Scene on I-35W during the crosstown reconstruction

[Mdcastle]

Some Minnesota Artistic Highway Signs I

REPOST
Besides the usual city streets, many Minnesota highways have names. The 1st group is what I term the "Officially Named Highways", trunk highways that have names written into state law, most of which memorialize a person or group of people. The second group is the Scenic Byways, there are 22 reckonized by the state tourism , some are also reckonized by the national scenic byways program and/or the National Forest Service.  There is some overlap between the first two groups. The final group, "Unfofficially named highways" are just various highways were local groups that put reckognition signs up. Most of the signs for officially named highways show the creativity you'd normally expect from a state agency; white text on BGS green, the same size as state highway markers.

The first signs were erected in the late 1950s, and Mn/DOT eventually got tired of having to pay for all these signs, some of the routes were rather extensive going all over the state. Finally in 1996 they got a law passed that for new designations the funding for signs had to come from a non DOT source, ie whoever wanted them. In practice they started also removing old signs that were worn out when there wa no one interested in paying for the replacement, even though they weren't officially allowed to do this until the law was modified in 2009. There are also a number of officially named bridges, I've not been taking pictures of those signs since tend to be difficult to do legal and safely, and are without exception the the white text on green so  I don't see the art in visually collecting them.
/REPOST


"34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division Highway" officially named highway honors the famous Red Bull division from Minnesota and Iowa, the first division deployed to Europe in WWII and amassed more days of front line combat than any other division. In Iowa US 34 is the named highway, in Minnesota they apparently wanted a more prominant number and offset it by one to designate I-35. As is typical the signs are at the exits to Rest Areas.


"King of Trails" Officially named highway and state reckognized Scenic Byway. As would be expected it follows the old Kind of Trails Autoroute along US 75, and the gold is apparently a homage to the original black "K-T" on gold trail markers. This is the most boring road imaginable unless you like rolling corn and soybean fields in the south and flat wheat farms in the north. I imagine it was designated a scenic byway as not to leave out the people that live in the boring parts of the state.


"Lake Country Scenic Byway" runs through Minnesota's lake country from Detroit Lakes to Walker with a spur to Itasca State Park. The Note Mn/DOTs normal practice to use a white on blue state shield tab for odball signs, when a black on white US shield tab would have looked better. I'm not a fan of this design. The sun, lake, and pine trees at the center is cool, but it should fill the entire sign instead of a small portion of the center, and a route marker is not the pace for a tourism slogan.


As the name implies the Great Lakes Circle tours are routes circumnavigating the Great Lakes. In Minnesota this would be an unofficially named highway.


The Mississippi Mile is a group of unofficially named streets around the downtown Minneapolis riverfront.


A Natural Preservation route is one where deviations from engineering standards are permitted to preserve the natural environment, kind of a "sharp turns / steep hills / narrow shoulders" warning.


The Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway is a state reckonized scenic byway on county roads in the lake country north of Brainerd. Paul Bunyan doesn't seem to be a big deal in todays society now but it was more when I was growing up. The Paul Bunyan amusement center in Brainerd is now a Kohls, the huge talking statue was moved to a less valuable location.


"POW/MIA Memorial Highway" Officially named highway runs along US 169 north of the cities. Although a basic white text on green sign it's different from the rest due to the lack of white border; also mounting these below the shield is more common.


"Voyageur Highway" Officially named highway is one of the older ones that winds all over the state and has multiple alternative routes. It's only signed along portions of MN 33 and US 71. It's an older two-tone design and I wouldn't be surprised to see the signs disappear as I don't think there's an organization currently sponsering them.


Waters of the Dancing Sky Scenic Byway is a state reckognized scenic byway along MN 11. The name referrences the Northern Lights, Minnesota is one of the best places in the lower 48 to see them (and I have) due to the relative proximity to the magnetic north pole and the lack of artificial lights in the northeastern part of the state. This marker is my favorite. The logo of the scenic byway organization has subtle splashes of colors in the sky and a narrower font, I've not shown it here due to copyright but it's easy enough to search for.

[Mdcastle]

MN 60 around Worthington

Highway 60 will eventually be 4 lanes from Sioux City to Mankato. Here's some of the work between Worthington and Iowa.



Construction in Worthington


Uprooted detour signs on the "short" detour. The plan was to end the detour by last fall, but last springs unfavorable weather and last summers government shutdown (which halted work on highway projects) meant that it was in place over the winter. Heavy trucks in the spring thaw destroyed the roadway, so a new longer detour was in place while the old one was rebuilt. I saw plenty of traffic using the "short" detour even though they weren't supposed to. These photos were from  5/12/12 and the detour was returned to the "short" route the following week.


Curve sign on the detour sign with the advisory speed on the main sign. There are also dynamic "your speed" signs on the detour route. Note the fresh pavement. They didn't have to repave the entire road but the fix was beyond filling in a couple of potholes, there's part where the pavement was replaced on one or both sides from dozens to hundreds of feet.


Looking at MN 60 from US 59



Where traffic is diverted off the expressway onto the detour.


Looking into Minnesota on the new expressway, there's no abrupt change in pavement since both sides were done at the same time. The difference is Minnesota has paved shoulders and Iowa does not.



The border crossing on the old road. In Iowa the old road is now being farmed. Although there is a county sign, the road on the Minnesota sign still belongs to the state. Contamination has been found and needs to be fixed before the state will officaially turn it over to the county. That's my current vehicle, a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. It's a V8 4.7L, and the limited slip both front to back and side to side (called Quadra-Drive) is really nice in the snow and rain.

[Edited to fix typos anc clarify things]

[texaskdog]

Great pics. Sioux City to Mankato not Sioux Falls, I take it.  Used to go from Saint Paul to the Black Hills every year, been 6 years, great to see these!

[froggie]

Looking at MN 60 from US 71

Assuming you mean US 59 here and not US 71.

I looked at the project website and the detour's back to CSAH 4/CSAH 5.  Was the "new temporary detour" along CSAH 2 and that's why there were detour signs at the state line?

[Mdcastle]

I made some corrections. Yes, the "long detour" diverted traffic westward along CSAH 12, (then CSAH 13, then I-90). Heading southwest there were signs at I-90 directing southwestbound traffic to get on it.

[Mdcastle]

Southwest Minnesota Highway Scenes





The overview of the US 65 border crossing. Note the "300" milepost due to the existance of MN 65; the stone marker is exacly on the border and commemorates the completion of the Jefferson Highway,


I-90 Bridge over the Blue Earth River.


The "gold" cement slab at the Blue Earth rest area. This was supposed to commemorate the completion of I-90 in 1978. (Although there was still a gap in Montana I believe this stretch did eliminate the last traffic signal between Boston and Seattle).


The Jackson rest area with the sun low in the sky. Minnesota built very unique looking rest areas originally with each one being different, my favorite was the earth sheltered brutalist one and Monticello and the deconstructionist one at Owatonna. Three of them were lost to arson in the early 2000s and the rest are wearing out and being replaced with bland but functional, efficient, and vandal resistant designs.


Unusual "super davit" light pole. These were never common and not used much in the cities, although a few were on MN 100 in Brooklyn Park most were at rural intersections and interchanges. These are being replaced with more standard davit or offeset poles as they get knocked down, wear out, or are otherwise replaced.


Coming to an end of an expressway segment on MN 60, the verbage is unusual, more common is "Expressway Ends". In return for the help of Southwestern republicans in overriding the Rebublican governor
s veto of a gasoline tax increase, converting the remaining two lane sections to expressway was inserted as a pork barrel project.


"King of Trails" assembly on US 75 just above the Iowa border. Typical unscenic scenery for this road.


"Road closed when flashing sign." These are found throughout the southwest and west, and the ones on interstate and major highway have railroad style gates that come down. Maybe an average of once a year a winter storm comes through and Mn/DOT is unable to keep the roads clear so they simply close large parts of the trunk highway system for a day or two until the snow stops and they have a chance at removing it. People driving on closed roads and then getting stuck and needing to be rescued, diverting resources from clearing the roads was a major issue, so gates and lights went up in addition to simply announcing that roads are closed; there's a $700 fine for driving on a closed road.

[AsphaltPlanet]

You take excellent road photos.  Thanks for posting.

[NE2]

The "gold" cement slab at the Blue Earth rest area. This was supposed to commemorate the completion of I-90 in 1978. (Although there was still a gap in Montana I believe this stretch did eliminate the last traffic signal between Boston and Seattle).

Nope - Wallace, Idaho had a big ceremony in 1991 where they buried their traffic light.

[Alex]

Coming to an end of an expressway segment on MN 60, the verbage is unusual, more common is "Expressway Ends". In return for the help of Southwestern republicans in overriding the Rebublican governor
s veto of a gasoline tax increase, converting the remaining two lane sections to expressway was inserted as a pork barrel project.

The 4-Lane Ends verbiage is commonly used by MDOT; the Minnesota usage is the first I have seen it elsewhere. An is an example readily available on the site is from 2001 along US 98 east ahead of the Escatawpa River into Alabama.

[Mdcastle]

When the Briddge Fell Part 2 of 3
Changes and signs on the surrounding roadways


Merge area on I-35W modified to give traffic from I-94 westbound a new lane


I-35W southbound traffic being diverted off at 4th.


The I-94 river bridge hurridly restriped for a new lane


Crossroad closed at the MN 280 "temporary freeway".


The Larpentur interchange at MN 280, hurridly modified to a standard diamond from a "squashed cloverleaf". This has now been totally rebuilt. Span wire signals are only used in Minnesota in installations intended to be temporary.


Reverse angle of the southbound road closing at 4th.


A little farther back


Father back yet; southbound I-35W around Stinson


Northbound approaching downtown.


Northbound.

[texaskdog]

Great pictures.  Sad memories, haven't been back since, interesting to see how they did all the lanes.

[Mdcastle]

Google maps view of some of the largest steel pieces, in an old gravel pit. Some of the smaller, more important pieces are in a 5,000 square foot storage building behind the Mn/DOT Bridge office in Oakdale, which looks just like any other big metal building, both IRL and on Google. Also some of the steel was determined to have no forensic value and was scrapped except for samples.



http://goo.gl/maps/zInF

[Mdcastle]

The Paynesville Bypass

A new expressway bypass of MN 23 is going up around Paynsville.



Work on the tie-in to the existing road south of town.


The bypass from Roseville Road




Interchange with MN 4 and MN 55


Looking north at the junction of County 33




The interchange with old road [east] of town

[froggie]

For those last 3 photos, do you mean east of town?  I was under the impression the old road was going to cul-de-sac on the west side near the county line.

[Mdcastle]

Yes, the interchange is on the east end of town and is totally done, the mainline is barrelled off and traffic is forced to exit onto the soon to be old road through town.

[Mdcastle]

MN 13 Projects and SE Metro Relamping
There's a couple of different projects on MN 13 in the southwest metro. A pavemement rehab project east of I-35W, a new signal at Quentin Ave in Savage, and a new half interchange at County 101.




Note the name "Daktronics". If it's a huge LED display it was probably made by them. They're located in Brookings, SD of all places, and manufacture they're own products at their headquarters rather than some Chinese sweatshop. The cost of labor is low due to the lack of other industry and they're centrally located on the interstate system.




Looking north on MN 13; it was closed to tie into the new exit ramps with the opening of the overpass. This is a typical older steel Mn/DOT non District 1 signal painted green, orange and silver poles and orange heads. The newest ones are bare galvanized with black heads.


Same direction zoomed in.



The new bridge hours before it opened. The last shot I got by standing on the roof of my Jeep.


They're taking away one mainline signal at County 101 and putting up a mainline signal at Quentin. Here is looking north on the new Quentin, slightly west of the present road, towards MN 13.


On the way home I noticed them changing light bulbs on I-35W. Mn/DOTs own crews maintain tower lighting and do spot relamping, but every couple of years they let a contract for a group relamp of a quadrant of the metro. This year it's the southwest quadrant's turn. Mn/DOT is not thrilled with full cutoff lighting, eventually they switched on their own from the standard semi-cutoff to these glass sag lens luminaires to try to split the difference and stop attempts in the legislature to force them to use full cutoff.

[froggie]

I find those CSAH 21 signs a bit curious...did Scott County finally finish the extension north from CSAH 42?

[Mdcastle]

^^^Yes

The swing bridge. The first bridge here was a wood suspension bridge that was built in 1924, then the stone bridge was built in 1935. A flood destroyed it in 1950 and it was rebuilt in 1953. (I don't know if the stone piers survived, but the entire deck structure didn't) The concrete caps were added to stablize it in the late 1970s. It's a suspension bridge but it known as the swing bridge because the deck has enough flexability you can stomp on it and make "swing".

Flood waters have once again overtopped the Swing Bridge in Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth. From the looks of the pictures the towers have survived but the span is damaged. More pictures are behind a paywall on the Strib, but here's one on the Pioneer Press
http://photos.twincities.com/2012/06/21/photos-duluth-assesses-damage-as-flooding-persists/#2

I-35 to Duluth has finally reopened, but other roads in the area are still closed.

[Mdcastle]

US 169 and I-494



Looking west from W Bush Lake Road at I-494 and the south frontage road



Looking Northwest and southwest from near the old Highland Drive intersection.



Northbound on US 169 approaching the junction with the loop to westbound I-494. In the distance is the signal for the ramp from I-494 west to US 169 north. There is no merge area so a temporary signal was built to give right turning traffic a fair chance.


Southbound on US 169 approaching the loop to east I-494


The unusual configuration at the Anderson Lake bridge looking south. The northbound bridge has been rebuilt and carries two northbound and on southbound lane. The southbound bridge is being rebuilt and carries one southbound lane.


The roundabout north of the new Washington Ave. bridge


Looking north from the roundabout. The building at left is the Minnesota Vikings headquarters and training facility


Utility work on Washington Ave.

[Mdcastle]

If anyone would like to see some more of my pictures, just not of Minnesota, I started a thread in "Central States" of my recent road trip.

[Mdcastle]

MN 23 Expressway construction and the University Bridge in St. Cloud



The west end at MN 95. These are from 2 June on the same date as the Paynsville bypass pictures, it was starting to get dark so I had to head home and come back another time.


Back again on 24 June



Center sections.


The east end at Mora looking south.





The University Bridge in St. Cloud.