Old and New Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway signs illustrating how bad yellow ink fades on highway signs.
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The new US 14 Freeway, going generally from West to East. Converting US 14 to four lanes between New Ulm and Rochester has been a decades-long project, and as things are now will take decades more. The two lane sections are among the most dangerous roads in the state and there's much political will from the area to get it done. Older sections were built as expressways, but Mn/DOT realized the error of that approach and is building new sections as interstate compatible freeway.
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Right now the freeway is complete to the MN 13 interchange south of Waseca. As such the last segment is really only usable for traffic going between 14 west and 13 south. This sign is telling through traffic to leave the freeway at the last exit before the bypass and take the old road through town
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These two are looking north on 13 at the new interchange with the 14 freeway, the US 14 shield assembly is just to the right and behind the overview picture. I'm not sure what they were thinking. If you want to go west on 14 you can get on the freeway at this interchange but if you want to go east you have to go straight ahead into town and meet up with the old road, to me the signs don't really convey that message.
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Two views looking west from overpasses for loca roads. Mn/DOT likes to use concrete a lot, and the shoulders will be fully paved with asphalt.
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Looking west approaching the new cloverleaf with I-35. This was going to be built as diamond in the original plans, but funding was found for a system interchange at the last minute.
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Looking north at the new interchange from I-35. The cloveleaf is complete, but the road ends just beyond to the west.
Cool photos! I like how Minnesota uses those support posts behind the sign gantries to help hold it up.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on March 11, 2012, 08:10:56 PM
Cool photos! I like how Minnesota uses those support posts behind the sign gantries to help hold it up.
I have seen a sign on U.S. 169 in the Twin Cities west suburbs bent completely forward with the supporting posts ripped out of the ground. Combine wet ground and a big@$$ gust of wind and even six of those channel posts will bend.
Hastings Bridge Replacement
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The doomed bridge in the background, with it's replacement in the foreground. The old Hastings bridge opened in 1951 and is historic, but is structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, it's only two lanes wide but carries 30,000 vehicles a day. The old bridge is to be another casualty of the I-35W bridge collapse. In the political fallout the legislature fired the transportation comissioner who was Pawlenty's stooge and opposed a gasoline tax increase, passed the increase over Pawlenty's veto, and directed the money be used to rehabilitate or replace bridges. Part of the stipulation was if a fracture-critical bridge needed major rehabilitation, it needed to either be replaced or rehabilitated to a redundant design. An early concept was to build a two lane tied-arch bridge next to the old one, as was done next to the "Big Blue Bridge", but the option was scrapped when investigation revealed that to rehabiliate the old bridge to a redundant design would destroy the historic character, as well as taking twice as long to construct. Mn/DOT offered the bridge to local agencies for preservation as a pedestrian bridge, but as with the bridge's predecessor the Spiral Bridge their were no takers.
The three options for replacement were a girder bridge, a tied arch bridge, and a cable-stayed bridge. Most residents wanted a "look at me" bridge (although a minority actually favored a nondescript girder bridge as it would improve drivers view of downtown and the river). There wasn't a strong cost difference or local consensus between a tied-arch bridge and a cable stayed bridge, so Mn/DOT allowed contracters to bid on either design, and a tied-arch bridge won the low bid.
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Two more views of the bridge.
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The JB Hudson plant, they've manufactured agricultural sprinklers here since the early 1900s. The new bridge took out their warehouse. Although there would have been enough space to rebuild in on-site, instead they opted to decamp and move to a vacant building in the industrial park on the southeast side of town. The city of Hastings in investigating converting the old building into into a hotel.
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A contractor staging area a short distance upriver. The arches will be built on land here, then transfered to barges and floated to the new bridge. You can see the top of the old bridge from here, but I didn't use that angle since it was facing into the sun. In the first picture the cliffs are on the other side of the river a lot farther than they look; I was using my telephoto range here. I'm not sure exactly what all the stuff is for lying around, but there's four upright poles that appear to be about the correct distance from each other to be for resting the ends of the arches on.
Can't wait to check out the construction, keep the photos coming!
Minnesota's named highways.
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.
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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. This Olof Hansen Drive marker, designating MN 299 in Faribault is the only standard one I'll be posting. There are a few variations, for example the Amish Buggy Byway (marked as Amish Byway) sign (which despite it's name is not an official scenic byway). The Amish moved into southeastern Minnesota decades ago, and roads have wide, paved shoulders to acomodate them.
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.
The Hiawatha Pioneer Trail is an officially named highway that dates from the early 1960s. Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin picked their "top 20" tourist attractions and designated the HPT connecting them. The idea came, interestingly enough, the American Petrolium Institute to, umh, encourage people to use more of their products but was supported by the state tourism boards. However interest soon waned. Illinois pulled down it's signs in 1972, Minnesota and Wisconsin did gradually over the years, and Iowa finally gave up in 2008.
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These are as far as I know the only HPT signs left in the state, originally they were a deep gold. The second one show's it's former life as a night speed limit sign. The only night speed limit after the national speed limit repeal was on a stretch of US/MN 61 near Gooseberry Falls state park that lasted until about 2000 so it's either from there or it predates the national speed limit. Signs do get around, I once saw a BGS from Duluth sitting in a Mn/DOT storage yard in the Twin Cities.
There's a lot of material on the Great River Road, which is a Scenic Byway and Officially Named Highway in Minnesota so I won't repeat it, but I will comment on the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. It's the only urban National Scenic Byway, you can drive 3/4 of the way around Minneapolis on parkways following water much of the way. Work on completing the long stalled gap is in planning again after being forgotten about for decades. Most of the parkways also include a bicycle and pedestrian trail, seperated where space allows.
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The "sky" in the Grand Rounds sign was originally a light yellow, but has faded out.
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Simplified versons as used on the bicycle trails.
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Two more scenic byway signs.
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The unofficially named Bushaway Road. After years of fighting with NIMBYS to improve the road the state gave up and gave it to Hennepin County, who continues the fight. The sign was put up by neighborhood groups to emphasize the scenic and historic (as opposed to extremely dangerous for modern traffic) aspecs of the road.
QuoteAfter years of fighting with NIMBYS to improve the road the state gave up and gave it to Hennepin County, who continues the fight.
As I understand it, the only way the state (i.e. MnDOT) would take over Crosstown Highway and the former County 18 freeway was for the county to take Bushaway Rd (and several others) to begin with. And that's how it happened.
Quote from: Mdcastle on April 01, 2012, 09:20:01 PM
Minnesota's named highways.
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These are as far as I know the only HPT signs left in the state, originally they were a deep gold. The second one show's it's former life as a night speed limit sign. The only night speed limit after the national speed limit repeal was on a stretch of US/MN 61 near Gooseberry Falls state park that lasted until about 2000 so it's either from there or it predates the national speed limit. Signs do get around, I once saw a BGS from Duluth sitting in a Mn/DOT storage yard in the Twin Cities.
This sign, it is where?
It's on MN 5 / W 7th Street, in St. Paul heading east about a half block before MN 51 / Montreal on an assembly with a no parking and truck route signs. (The one in much better condition is on US 10/61 southbound attached to the confirmation shields after the MN 95 signal.)
Quote from: froggie on April 01, 2012, 09:43:09 PM
QuoteAfter years of fighting with NIMBYS to improve the road the state gave up and gave it to Hennepin County, who continues the fight.
As I understand it, the only way the state (i.e. MnDOT) would take over Crosstown Highway and the former County 18 freeway was for the county to take Bushaway Rd (and several others) to begin with. And that's how it happened.
Bushaway Road is part of former MN-101, now Hennepin County 101, where it runs south from Wayzata. Although the state-county agreement for swaps of a number of routes included this segment, MnDOT had to complete an improvement project before Hennepin County would take the portion of 101 south of U.S. 12 including this one. The transfer ("turnback") thus didn't take place for several years after the initial transfers (about 1989). I'm not sure whether Carver County was a signatory to the agreement, but they have been slow to take over the remaining pieces of MN-101 in that county.
Mdcastle, thank you for the great photo essay of Minnesota signs and highways. Since I have never been to that state, it was quite nice to be able to see what things look like over there. My youngest brother lives in Hibbing so if you ever get to the Iron Range, I hope you will have some pix to post up!
Rick
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on April 01, 2012, 11:17:23 PM
Quote from: froggie on April 01, 2012, 09:43:09 PM
QuoteAfter years of fighting with NIMBYS to improve the road the state gave up and gave it to Hennepin County, who continues the fight.
As I understand it, the only way the state (i.e. MnDOT) would take over Crosstown Highway and the former County 18 freeway was for the county to take Bushaway Rd (and several others) to begin with. And that's how it happened.
Bushaway Road is part of former MN-101, now Hennepin County 101, where it runs south from Wayzata. Although the state-county agreement for swaps of a number of routes included this segment, MnDOT had to complete an improvement project before Hennepin County would take the portion of 101 south of U.S. 12 including this one. The transfer ("turnback") thus didn't take place for several years after the initial transfers (about 1989). I'm not sure whether Carver County was a signatory to the agreement, but they have been slow to take over the remaining pieces of MN-101 in that county.
Have they ever straightened 101? Was very amused that rather than upgrade it they turned it back to the county.
QuoteI'm not sure whether Carver County was a signatory to the agreement, but they have been slow to take over the remaining pieces of MN-101 in that county.
To my knowledge, they weren't. Hence why MnDOT is still going through separate negotiations with Carver County and Chanhassan.
Quote from: texaskdog on April 02, 2012, 01:03:51 PM
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on April 01, 2012, 11:17:23 PM
Quote from: froggie on April 01, 2012, 09:43:09 PM
QuoteAfter years of fighting with NIMBYS to improve the road the state gave up and gave it to Hennepin County, who continues the fight.
As I understand it, the only way the state (i.e. MnDOT) would take over Crosstown Highway and the former County 18 freeway was for the county to take Bushaway Rd (and several others) to begin with. And that's how it happened.
Bushaway Road is part of former MN-101, now Hennepin County 101, where it runs south from Wayzata. Although the state-county agreement for swaps of a number of routes included this segment, MnDOT had to complete an improvement project before Hennepin County would take the portion of 101 south of U.S. 12 including this one. The transfer ("turnback") thus didn't take place for several years after the initial transfers (about 1989). I'm not sure whether Carver County was a signatory to the agreement, but they have been slow to take over the remaining pieces of MN-101 in that county.
Have they ever straightened 101? Was very amused that rather than upgrade it they turned it back to the county.
IIRC (and that was 20 years ago), I think the improvement project Hennepin County insisted that MnDOT complete before route turnback involved the Grays Bay Bridge rather than any significant widening.
That is my understanding as well.
Maybe I'll stick with photography and leave the history lessons to others, but Highway 101 could have a whole thread by itself. It originally ran from Savage to Elk River as a two lane road with a lot of narrow, twisty segments, but Mn/DOT only wants to keep the sections from MN 13 to US 169, which is functionally an extended ramp, and the segment north of Rogers which is slowly becoming a freeway. Some of it has been converted to 4 lane, some by Mn/DOT, some by the counties, some by Mn/DOT to get the counties to agree to accept it. Because of varying stages of turnback agreements, there are three seperart marked segments of MN 101, and a few secret routes for good measure. I believe what Hennepin county wants for the "Bushaway Road" segment is just a two lane segment with shoulders, gentler curves- IRC one is advised at 15 mph or some such, turn lanes, and a bicycle trail. It's a thickly wooded stretch with narrow ROW and historic properties nearby so even these modest improvements would have a substantial effect on the character.
What are people interested in pictures of? Road construction? Interesting signs? Generic signs? Roads? Roadside scenery? Archival pictures of old construction projects or the I-35W collapse aftermath? Whatever I feel like posting?
Given how little I get back home, I'd prefer "All of the above".
Rushing Rapids Parkway Scenic Byway Phototour
It's raining here so I'm spending the weekend going through my archives. My film archives are a mess and I have a lot of them; I've never liked the harsh "digital" look of digicams, and switched late and only reluctantly, so I have 6 years of analog highway photos, combined with newer digital ones that's well over a thousand. I lost one of my archival CDs to a gouge, some of the older stuff I only scanned the print and only at a low resolution for people's highway endings sites, and I no longer have a film scanner. Some of the better old stuff that I don't have a high resolution archive for I'm sending out to a commercial scanning service, combined with what I have I'm doing a spreadsheet so I can finally keep track of it all.
Anyway, heres some from my archives. Rushing Rapids Parkway is a state reckonized scenic byway from Carlton to Duluth.
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The sign is a stylized depiction of the rushing rapids of the St. Louis River, and the Swing Bridge in Jay Cooke State Park. The water really is brownish; from tannins.
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I'm not sure if the byway officially begins at the city limits of Carlton or at this junction, but I like this picture so here it is. MN 210 goes straigh here, and MN 45 starts and goes to the right. Originally this was the main route to Duluth; prior to the 1930s Constitutional Route 1 and later US 61 used to come in from straight ahead and make a turn to the right.
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Old through truss bridge by the town of Thompson
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The Thomson dam is a 1907 hydroelectric dam. The energy company donated a lot of the land the later became Jay Cooke state park.
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In Jay Cooke State Park. It's one of the larger, and one of the better state parks. This is one of the few places where you can see the river from the road due to the dense vegetation. This used to be old growth pine forest but like most of the state loggers got every last one around the turn of the century, it's now mixed forest, althought pines are slowly making a comeback.
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Some of the rapids
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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".
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Typical scenery
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The end of MN 210 (and of the byway) in Duluth.
I used to live in Duluth, and I love the Jay Cooke area. Playing around on the big rocks in the river and freaking people out by making the bridge swing were two really fun memories from when I was younger.
We drove this road in 2007, as I recall. Is the pavement east of Jay Cooke park still as horrid as it was then?
Great memories! One winter day we drove back from Duluth and attempted to take 210 back to 35. We got stuck going uphill heading west and slid backwards, and there was no room to turn around either. Eventually got ourselves out and headed back east and took 23 back home.
I don't know how the pavement is now, these pictures are from before when we were there and I haven't been that way since.
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.
It's taken this long for the city of Minneapolis to get funding and figure out how to go about doing things. Minneapolis and Hennepin County are responsible for about 10 major bridges across the Mississippi and would really like Mn/DOT to take over them because they don't have the same kind of resources. Where St Paul / Ramsey county have one bridge. Minneapolis was planning to do some of the demolition work necessary to get access to the cables, but ultimately they couldn't rent the specialized equipment so they finally just bid the whole think out and it should be repaired this summer.
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The barricades on the west side.
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Empty roadway
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Mind numbingly boring design repaced a 1886 iron through truss structure
The Lowry Bridge piers dated from 1905, the trusses wore out and were replaced in 1958. In 2004 while being repainted it was discovered one of the piers had shifted 11 inches. The thinking was that over time there was lateral pressure by the pier against the bearing, then finally it snapped and shifted. The bearing was replaced and it was thought that it wouldn't move again, and it was hoped to get another 20 years of life out of the structure, but in 2008 it shifted again and was at the end of the bearing, and the new bearing was at the edge of the pier. This was a warm spring day; it was feared in the heat of the summer steel of the bridge would expand, snap the bearing, and fall into the river. The bridge was closed and dynamited and plans for replacement started. The residents didn't want yet another boring concrete girder bridge, so a basket handle tied arch bridge was selected at a cost of an extra $14 million.
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Telephoto view looking east. The foreground is the I-94 overpass, note the fence on the right.
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Three views looking east and northeast.
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Approach road forms.
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Looking north on the east side, the bridge is two the left. Neither neighborhood is very classy, note the run-down liquor stores on each side of the street, but the west side is much worse. When the bridge is closed crime goes down on the east side, of course the politically correct people have fits when it's brought up because the west side is largely black.
Note the detour sign. 10 points if someone can tell me two things wrong with it. 100 points if not from here.
Hennepin County uses blue pentagons for county shields, and even if they did use the white square county markers, that shield in the picture is not square anyway!
I live in NE Minneapolis and drive by (and get bothered by) these shields almost every day, so I guess I only get 10 points ;)
Another old sign, this one's on West River Parkway under I-94. The front is a "no left turn" sign, you can see from the back in it's former life it was a MN state highway marker. I think it may have been used for detours, since the numbers look "pasted on". This one may not be long for the world since it was evidently struck by a vehicle, the sign is bent and the pole is at a 45 degree angle.
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Quote from: Mdcastle on April 14, 2012, 10:25:49 PM
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Still there was quite a turnout
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View from the University Ave Bridge.
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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
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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.
Twin Cities Highway Scenes
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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.
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The 10th Ave Bridge, built 1929. In the background is the old I-35W bridge
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Last remnent of the old Henepin Ave Bridge
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The 3rd Ave Bridge, built 1918
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The new MN 25 bridge at Belle Plaine, yet another boring replacement of a through truss bridge
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Construction of the Margaret Street overpass over MN 36. The famous North Saint Paul is being protected by sheet piling
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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
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Sign waiting to be installed during the construction of the final US 212 construction, MN 41 was the third temporary ending.
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Scene on I-35W during the crosstown reconstruction
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
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"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.
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"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.
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"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.
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As the name implies the Great Lakes Circle tours are routes circumnavigating the Great Lakes. In Minnesota this would be an unofficially named highway.
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The Mississippi Mile is a group of unofficially named streets around the downtown Minneapolis riverfront.
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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.
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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.
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"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.
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"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.
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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.
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.
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Construction in Worthington
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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.
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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.
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Looking at MN 60 from US 59
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0227.jpg&hash=c9ed78fbbfad7b35260154b02359d6ff7e4ee7b6)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0231.jpg&hash=669d9bf6db301166cc9a67c20741872e3753085e)
Where traffic is diverted off the expressway onto the detour.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0237.jpg&hash=8a5ecbdb6e1d53d97bd67a881e0b66c90950f296)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0223.jpg&hash=1776311010f75264abde542b9449da4e269c42c8)
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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]
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!
QuoteLooking 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?
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.
Southwest Minnesota Highway Scenes
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2Fcrop0010.jpg&hash=1e8a2094b0a0c466d77d7a2118346fa1a6eda16f)
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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,
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FNegatives_023.jpg&hash=c5682f2575ca4267114e51b0c02d58c7acc9cd48)
I-90 Bridge over the Blue Earth River.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2Fcrop0078.jpg&hash=2402a241b6e29a4063f83850fcbbe2e3ffc00409)
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).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0259.jpg&hash=d779e1d7158a48112c512aa860d068d1bf087550)
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.
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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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0193.jpg&hash=83e66677e54a591f397c66211ff7824f39b9c62b)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FNegatives_007A.jpg&hash=298dfdd217273e8646c993712527e1abeab44246)
"King of Trails" assembly on US 75 just above the Iowa border. Typical unscenic scenery for this road.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0189-1.jpg&hash=38a932298a33d1ed2d037b746aeb34c60800911a)
"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.
You take excellent road photos. Thanks for posting.
Quote from: Mdcastle on May 26, 2012, 08:04:46 AM
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.
Quote from: Mdcastle on May 26, 2012, 08:04:46 AM
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 (http://www.southeastroads.com/mississippi050/us-098_eb_app_al_line_01.jpg).
When the Briddge Fell Part 2 of 3
Changes and signs on the surrounding roadways
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Merge area on I-35W modified to give traffic from I-94 westbound a new lane
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0717.jpg&hash=c07a1dcec1fa6a26adcc30e0de637da1f034039a)
I-35W southbound traffic being diverted off at 4th.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0761.jpg&hash=f14df72c438bd2ee8135117fc4737806a1da2aa6)
The I-94 river bridge hurridly restriped for a new lane
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Crossroad closed at the MN 280 "temporary freeway".
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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.
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Reverse angle of the southbound road closing at 4th.
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A little farther back
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0809.jpg&hash=8765a9d50a6415eceddb38f8cb405c1769fba996)
Father back yet; southbound I-35W around Stinson
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Northbound approaching downtown.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_1053.jpg&hash=758ec3cd8cc03b9977cd374a808698d0397dc5e3)
Northbound.
Great pictures. Sad memories, haven't been back since, interesting to see how they did all the lanes.
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
The Paynesville Bypass
A new expressway bypass of MN 23 is going up around Paynsville.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0296.jpg&hash=f3b5b6f334f8b4c363ca72b56adbfe5231ddd0f3)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0297.jpg&hash=713e661df086f783f7c3599b15d0eba32d4e9403)
Work on the tie-in to the existing road south of town.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0301.jpg&hash=8cedc38839efcf6fed688058d6411f9a9291f637)
The bypass from Roseville Road
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0304.jpg&hash=f7ca19d33957bfb05f9ecb239609632bef3c7f45)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0306.jpg&hash=153ba622a7545c02e4fd603657ec24e6c60dc34d)
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Interchange with MN 4 and MN 55
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0315.jpg&hash=c4ba618ec0d256efc7743c1e3df156137d1210cd)
Looking north at the junction of County 33
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0317.jpg&hash=a959c4cab0d4ee1268eaff189d250ef64d05b437)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0323.jpg&hash=ef03bc7472c1e584ef06fbfffafb4d167889ffeb)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0325.jpg&hash=5d2e40ba1fad073ae32b6f072073dcbdde273bba)
The interchange with old road [east] of town
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.
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.
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0494.jpg&hash=42f61897bbbf91ac0c9501f1622f3695528c6caa)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0498.jpg&hash=7213a649ac4fcbeb17af1dc1624a92819c055a10)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0500-1.jpg&hash=a9f3c3da7ff630b29cf4ed7abec2cf54022366a1)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0502.jpg&hash=963a685649668a901ecb6aae1cd03c137f160627)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0503.jpg&hash=6e8640de1b58ecc0f0ccba0d8a0b48da38bb5567)
Same direction zoomed in.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0522.jpg&hash=245f81636ece1ba7819e993abdc4a252067ae15a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0510.jpg&hash=3acf846676d1c3b00e24651fb825fb444d03f84a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0527.jpg&hash=13592d1ae7ef72910d860096001ad3c431c0e1b8)
The new bridge hours before it opened. The last shot I got by standing on the roof of my Jeep.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0515.jpg&hash=9b840f187fc97a605c2ed9e2f3c1c9dce6813614)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0538.jpg&hash=32f5436b1cb7d952061c2dcee6a3a4e868aaddb1)
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.
I find those CSAH 21 signs a bit curious...did Scott County finally finish the extension north from CSAH 42?
^^^Yes
Quote
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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.
US 169 and I-494
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0374.jpg&hash=2c3793e2b904ce51a5e1d61f846a48a3fa9e26ef)
Looking west from W Bush Lake Road at I-494 and the south frontage road
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0376.jpg&hash=6d3572e933d51b6a7d7d0f0a47d786af9d99aa2c)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0382.jpg&hash=ef73b85a6cc0746cd9dac504fcd6b2eb56d63c80)
Looking Northwest and southwest from near the old Highland Drive intersection.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0427.jpg&hash=8e00130312bedd54aace1332351af4e8b72cd865)
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.
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Southbound on US 169 approaching the loop to east I-494
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0476.jpg&hash=42be697c3b9c95b4b2b22d77335609a01805cf79)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0431.jpg&hash=49e02cea95e8824725c94155a85b5630324ff7ff)
The roundabout north of the new Washington Ave. bridge
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Looking north from the roundabout. The building at left is the Minnesota Vikings headquarters and training facility
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0432.jpg&hash=f2c5b35baea9aef801fb863166c3e60ca399a7a2)
Utility work on Washington Ave.
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.
MN 23 Expressway construction and the University Bridge in St. Cloud
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0367.jpg&hash=d22ef701401686f876a2256cf6e908ced11f5a5e)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0366.jpg&hash=b02627e4b3bbccc9588d1788a7571216055ac183)
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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0621.jpg&hash=c3384dfc9fe83dff9cdb3fd5d47b2fb3e448aeea)
Back again on 24 June
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0622.jpg&hash=733459dc82ea473fab96eed68d8ec5c898e04d53)
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Center sections.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0635.jpg&hash=f226634acf5396fca69de1637d8b6459f4fe10ef)
The east end at Mora looking south.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0611.jpg&hash=8e1d1e84d28df78f6a0f1abce41a1d57fbdc6b85)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0613.jpg&hash=d7879429420a5304e411ac214ce9b42949dfcbe2)
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The University Bridge in St. Cloud.
More St. Cloud Area Bridges
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FCrop0138.jpg&hash=3beb4604106908767823f14c24a9d75a71f71bb8)
The Sartell Bridge, the building in the background is a paper mill. Archive Photo
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The Bridge of Hope. The name is in honor of Jacob Wetterling, a boy that was abducted from nearby St. Joseph in 1989 and hasn't been seen since. The second photo was difficult to get, to get a good clear shot and avoid getting creamed by traffic when I needed to merge back on to the mainline I waited at the signal on the south end of the bridge facing west, then made a right turn when nortbound mainline traffic was stopped.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FCrop0142.jpg&hash=27bcd9a41f79a2c534f78e7c82d2e10ab1d04130)
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The old Sauk Rapids bridge.
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The former causeway and abutment of the old Sauk Rapids bridge is now a pedestrian promenade and lookout.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_0336.jpg&hash=6beaa1657dbc8c1afe5c5385d2e5f9416fbaaa4f)
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The new Sauk Rapids Bridge.
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Granite City Crossing. This replaced yet another deck truss bridge. After the I-35W bridge collapse it was discovered that some of the gussett plates were warped, and might have been since the day the bridge opened. Rather than repair the bridge and then close it again a short time later for replacement they opted to keep it closed and move up the replacement.
The Hastings Bridge Part II
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The new bridge and the old bridge. Hastings is still lamenting the loss of the Spiral Bridge that has been gone over 50 years. But when the present bridge was built there was absolutely zero interest in the city or anyone else stepping into save it. Just like now there's absolutely zero interest in saving the present bridge; I wonder if in a few years people will start lamenting the loss of it. I realize it can't stay as a road bridge under state law an it would need real money to fix it, but I question our priorities when they could have built a generic girder bridge and spent the leftover money on it, or why we're spending over a million dollars to move what's basically a stone garage in Oak Park Heights that most people have never heard of, much less care about.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_1075.jpg&hash=5288a9d8dd21dda6dd2fb2ef04ce0e7dcf223099)
Closer in view of the north pier.
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I realize the composition is lousy from a photographic point of view, but this shows the relative location of the bridge and the arch.
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The arch rises. Just about everyone driving by slowed down to look at it. The red color is presumably the final color, it looks like they're using a grey primer and then the red. The visualization shows more a dull red / terra-cotta, a color that's associated with the town because of the old brick buildings, other color options were grey or a deep blue. Maybe they expect the color to fade somewhat or maybe the visualizations are off.
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The Flint Hills Nature Center is being used as a staging area. I found it amusing the nature center sign with a bunch of construction trailers immediately behind it. The riverfront path is detoured around the area. Those are 250 watt HPS lumiaires so it's certainly lit well at night.
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Three views from the north. This was as close as I could get without trespassing.
Speaking of the spiral bridge:
http://www.usgwarchives.org/mn/dakota/postcards/spirbr.jpg
I've never seen an arch shaped almost round like that. Clearly an antiquated design.
Quote from: Steve on August 06, 2012, 08:07:08 PM
Speaking of the spiral bridge:
http://www.usgwarchives.org/mn/dakota/postcards/spirbr.jpg
I've never seen an arch shaped almost round like that. Clearly an antiquated design.
that is both the coolest and most rickety-looking thing ever.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 06, 2012, 08:10:45 PM
Quote from: Steve on August 06, 2012, 08:07:08 PM
Speaking of the spiral bridge:
http://www.usgwarchives.org/mn/dakota/postcards/spirbr.jpg
I've never seen an arch shaped almost round like that. Clearly an antiquated design.
that is both the coolest and most rickety-looking thing ever.
In terms of rickety, the Pulaski Skyway could have given it a good run before the massive rehab started a few years ago.
A Bridge Too Far Gone?
So asked a Strib headline a couple of years ago. The saga of the Rock Island Swing Bridge, aka the J.A.R Bridge, is illustrated of the dilema of what to do with a bridge that's justifiably historic, but yet is also a "Rusty bucket of bolts) as one Washington County comissioner put it.
The bridge was built in 1894 as an locomotive // whatever things were on the road at the time bridge, with the top deck as a railroad. It originally operated as toll bridge until 1938
Rail traffic ceased in 1980. Even back then traffic on the Wakota Bridge, then an old tied-arch structure predating the interstate system, was bad, and in 1982 Al Roman of Chicagoland bought it and opened it as a toll bridge, naming it the J.A.R. bridge after the initials of himelf and his wife. The 75 cent toll was enough to operate it and make a small profit, but not enough for ongoing maintenance, and in 1999 a defective beam was found on the Washington County side and the bridge closed. Roman just walked away and stopped paying taxes, and the bridge was seized by the counties. They discussed going after the Romans for demolition costs, but they had few assetts and eventually Al died.
The bridge sat in limbo for years since the counties couldn't afford to demolish it, and many people wanted to save all or part of it. The approach road on the east was given to the oil refinery and sealed off, on the west it was officially closed but extremely easy to get to "unofficially", as there were just a couple of jersey barriers in the road. The need for an road crossing disappeared with the new Wakota Bridge, which after numerous delays due to cracks forming before it even opened and a spat with the contractor finally opened.
In fall 2008 the National Park Service held a public open house at the bridge to make the case for saving it. They wanted the entire structure kept, although they acknowleged that with the reality of the situation they might have to settle for a couple of the fixed sections towards the center of the Dakota side, which were in the best condition and didn't interfere with navigation. Here are some photos from the open house of the bridge and the exhibits.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_1130.jpg&hash=31f3c063e43438108b76474836aab56ba29eb9ff)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_1135.jpg&hash=2483160886395792449edad1632c51b61b9a5dcb)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_1147.jpg&hash=a11f9d9806bf0f905917a3fbcbc7b7829252ebf7)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi699.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv358%2FMdcastleman%2FIMG_1153.jpg&hash=5ecfb87c99396a7cd1f2e079d0948c96f1951008)
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And it's since been reopened as a fishing pier: http://www.johnweeks.com/bridges/pages/b39.html
Not sure why I'm bothering to post these since they're the same one John Weeks has, but here goes.
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The National Park Service of course wanted the entire structure saved, but realistically that wasn't an option. While debate went on as to what to do with it and how to pay for it the bad beam on the Washington County side finally failed and part of the structure fell onto the shore. There was some question as to if people would even use it as an overlook, in the Midwest rivers are usually heavilly polluted and not something you swim or fish in. At that point an emergency contract to demolish it was let. Wikipedia seemed to imply that the preservationalists got the demolition stopped when nothing but the two remaining sections were left, but on the other hand even before the NPS open house I saw a plan for saving only select sections of the Dakota County side.
There was no question about demolishing the Washington County side since part of it fell onto the shore and there is no public access, and the Swing Span was a hazard to navigation. Of the remaining spans, numbered 1-5 starting on the Dakota side, 1 was in poor condition, 2 was in fair condition, 3, 4, and 5 were in good condition, but 5 was close to the navigation channel. One plan was to demolish 1 and replace it with 5 and restore 2,3 and 4, but that was a fairly expensive option. Instead they demolished, 1, 2, and 5, replacing 1 and 2 with a standard pedestrian through truss, with the standard self-weathering steel it was a good aesthetic match. As a final hickup, a welding torch set the old wood deck on fire, but there was no real damage to the steel and the deck was replaced.
Whether there should be a local road crossing in the area is a good question, but I talked to a Dakota county engineer, and he said if one is desired they should start from scratch and build something new that's going to last 100 years, rather than try to rehabilate the old swing bridge for auto use. The Wakota bridge isn't congested and has aux lanes for local use, but I do think in urban areas there should be a local alternative to freeways. A logical point would be linking county road 22 and 26 a half mile south. It would have to swerve to miss the oil refinery but it would link to major county roads that have freeway interchanges with 52 and 10/61,
There is no crossing between IGH & Hastings. They will need a crossing eventually.
International Falls and Fort Frances Highway Scenes
All photos from Spring 2004.
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MN 11 looking east crossing into Dove Island
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The eastern terminus of MN 11. The white sign says "End state maintenance"
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Sign with improvised MN 11 shield
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US 53 commerical strip
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Sign approaching US 53 and MN 11
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Looking west at US 71 in the "downtown" area.
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Looking northwest towards the bridge.
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6 flags monument south of the bridge
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Looking north at the bridge.
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Now in the land where the beavers eat poutine. Looking south at the bridge
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Junction ON 11 and ON 71. The sign in the last photo reads "Bridge to USA"
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Downtown Fort Frances, ON 11
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Abandoned ON 11 east of town, railroad grade crossing replaced by an overpass
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ON 11/71 shields
Quote from: Mdcastle on September 01, 2012, 12:44:31 PM
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv358/Mdcastleman/00257_n_12ahqrem6u0257.jpg[/img]
Looking west at US 71 in the "downtown" area.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv358/Mdcastleman/00310_n_12ahqrem6u0310.jpg[/img]
Downtown Fort Frances, ON 11
Why the distinction between
"downtown" and
downtown?
I-Falls seemed rather sleepy, most of the commercial activity has moved to the US 53 commercial strip. FF has a commercial strip too, but there's a lot more activity still in the downtown area. Both pictures were taken in the middle of a weekday, but notice how busier the FF side seems.
How far into Northwestern Ontario did you go?
Definitely one of the more interesting border crossings.
Quote from: NE2 on September 01, 2012, 03:09:50 PM
Definitely one of the more interesting border crossings.
Yes it is. For those of you not familiar with it, it's a crazy hodgepodge of customs and toll booths, rails, roadway, steam pipes, sidewalks; the rail and sidewalk are between the two traffic lanes. The southbound lane is part of the original 100 year old structure and has a weight limit, so if a heavy truck wants to go south they need to stop northbound traffic and route it south in the northbound lane.
Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on September 01, 2012, 02:38:47 PM
How far into Northwestern Ontario did you go?
Not very far in the big scheme of things. This particular trip I just walked across from International Falls, the car I was driving blew an engine while I was passing throuh and I was stranded in the area for several days. On other trips I've been 1) from Rainy River to Fort Frances, 2) From Fort Frances to the Hwy 61 crossing, bypassing Thunder Bay on Hwy 130, and 3)from the Hwy 61 crossing to Thunder Bay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2umjNWDC9Q&feature=related
Short video on FYA's from the city of Burnsville, similar to Hydro's "talking outlets".
A Bridge on the Move
September: the bridge is moved onto barges.
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The lifting was going to be when I was in Virginia, but they kept postponing it until I was able to be back to attend. It was a beautiful fall day and the town was out to see it.
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The old bridge was closed to prevent accidents from gawkers
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For various reasons I wasn't able to get back out there until yesterday. They're going to need to repaint the mural.
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