MnDOT and Local Road Research Board

The purpose of this study was to evaluate thermoplastic as a pavement marking material on portland cement concrete and asphaltic concrete pavements. This report summarizes the data collected under Investigation 186 and Special Study 276 and presents guidelines for using thermoplastic on both concrete and bituminous pavements.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether breaking a concrete pavement prior to being overlaid would result, in any reduction in the amount of crack reflectance. This report describes the design, construction and performance of a typical widening and resurfacing project, on a portion of which a 59-ton roller was used to crack the old concrete slab prior to construction. This process was found to significantly reduce some types of cracking and is recommended for future projects of this nature

This report is the third and final of a series prepared for the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) that contains summaries of highway research projects which have been conducted in Minnesota for the last 25 years. These summaries will be valuable references to city and county Engineers and others who are responsible for the construction and management of roads, streets, highways, and other related facilities. Volume III summarizes over 115 research projects which have been sponsored by the State of Minnesota Department of Transportation (earlier Department of Highways) since 1960. These research projects were all state funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). These projects cover a wide variety of subjects including surface treatment, pavement design and evaluation, materials evaluation, and roadside turf establishment to name a few. Much of the Information resulting from these projects is of value to all city and county engineers, as well as Mn/DOT engineers and the Industry.

This report is the second of a series prepared for the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) that contains summaries of highway research projects which have been conducted in Minnesota for the last 25 years. These summaries will be valuable references to city and county Engineers and others who are responsible for the construction and management of roads/ streets/ highways, and other related facilities. Volume II summarizes over 35 research projects which have been sponsored by the State of Minnesota Department of Transportation (earlier Dept. of Highways) since 1960. Some projects received funding assistance through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) previously Bureau of Public Roads. These projects cover a wide variety of subjects including surface treatment, pavement design and evaluation, materials evaluation, and roadside turf establishment to name a few. Much of the information resulting from these projects is of value to all city and county engineers; as well as Mn/DOT engineers and the industry.

This report is the first of several volumes prepared for the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) which contain summaries of highway research projects which have been conducted in Minnesota. These summaries will be valuable references to City and County Engineers and others who are responsible for the construction and management of roads, streets, highways and other related facilities. Volume I summarizes over 50 research projects which have been sponsored wholly or in part by the Minnesota LRRB since 1959. These projects cover a wide variety of subjects including geometric standards, pavement design and evaluation, materials evaluation, and roadside turf establishment to name a few. Much of the information resulting from these projects is of value to all city and county engineers, as well as Mn/DOT engineers and the industry.

The three-volume Research Review lists all of the completed MnDOT Investigations, LRRB studies and Special Studies as of 1983. The table of contents document lists the projects by topic.

The purpose of this synthesis is to bring together materials and information on the design and maintenance of low volume roads. A literature search has been obtained from HRIS, NTIS and the Engineering Index. Over 1,000 questionnaires were then sent to cities, counties and consultants in the northern tier of states and the Canadian provinces. Interviews were also held with representatives of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Duluth, Hennepin and St. Louis Counties regarding their low volume road design and rehabilitation procedures. These confirmed that much of the engineering for low volume roads is an offshoot of the procedures used for higher volume facilities. Based on the literature search, questionnaire responses and interviews, recommendations are made for thickness design of gravel, asphalt, and concrete pavements, stabilization of subgrade soils with bituminous materials, lime and/or cement. Recommendations are made to construct test sections to monitor special designs and materials. The final consideration in the selection of design and materials is the cost related to anticipated performance.

An extensive library research program was carried out in 1978 to determine what publications are available that deal with water pollution from highways and urban areas. The literature search indicated that considerable research is being done in this area of study. A number of publications were located which should be helpful in determining how accurate the present method of estimating water pollution from highways is. There was an attempt to limit the researcher to articles published after 1970. Although the bibliography is extensive, it is not exhaustive. The original report was published in 1978. Since that time, an additional 114 articles have been reviewed to determine which ones related to the subject study. The supplemental bibliography is published in two sections. Part 1 is a list of publications alphabetized by the author, with appropriate annotations. Part 2 is a list of all publications perused as a part of the research. Part 2 contains articles listed in Part 1.

In October 2022, five self-driving shuttle vans rolled onto the streets of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, as part of a first-of-its-kind demonstration. The 18-month Minnesota Autonomous Rural Transit Initiative (goMARTI) pilot offered free, on-demand rides to Grand Rapids residents and visitors. Rides were provided by a fleet of Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vans—three of which were wheelchair-accessible with an ADA-compliant ramp. The service covered nearly 17 square miles and included about 75 pickup and drop-off points. A human operator was on board each autonomous vehicle to verify safety and aid passengers.

Citizens, leaders, and other transportation stakeholders in Itasca County, Minnesota (which includes the city of Grand Rapids), have long recognized the need for more accessible, affordable transportation. The United Way identified significant transportation and mobility challenges to accessing health and human services for county residents who are older, experiencing poverty, or both. Yet like many rural areas, the county’s large geographic size and relatively small population have made it difficult to provide conventional alternative transportation.