Spring 2007 Technology Exchange
Association awards
Professional associations announce annual awards.
LRRB Update
LRRB, RIC to begin new round of projects
The Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) and its Research Implementation Committee (RIC) announced new project plans.
Report offers guidance for applying rumble strips at rural intersections
Some counties in Minnesota use rumble strips at many of their rural stop-controlled intersections while other counties hardly use them at all. A new report offers guidelines for usage.
OPERA project: Increasing the capacity of slab-span timber bridges
This issue's featured project features slab-span timber bridges.
How about a roundabout? The Minnesota experience
More and more Minnesota engineers and planners are exploring the potential for roundabouts in their communities. A new DVD provides an overview of usage in Minnesota.
Pavement Conference
Stretching the pavement dollar
Speakers at the 11th Annual Minnesota Pavement Conference offered their ideas to stretch the transportation dollar.
Past, present, and future of pavement preservation
Tom Kuennen presented hot-button issues in pavement presentation.
Transportation issues in the 2007 legislature
Betsy Parker of Mn/DOT’s Office of Government Affairs discussed transportation proposals for the legislature.
Crunching the numbers of recycled asphalt
CEO of ASTEC Industries, Inc. expects growing use of recycled asphalt.
Pavement data collection: plan vs. actual
How well do actual pavement conditions match what was planned? A pilot project was conducted last year to find out.
Safety
TZD conference features local road safety measures
Several sessions at the 2006 Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) conference touched on ways to improve the safety of local and rural roads.
Maintenance activities to improve safety
Topics discussed included field approaches, vegetation, pavement edge drop-offs, and pavement markings.
Clinical diagnosis: safer roads through road safety audits
Moving toward zero deaths on Minnesota roadways may seem like a difficult goal—but simple steps can help move Minnesota in that direction, said speakers at a session on road safety audits.
Managing pavement edge drop-offs
The asphalt-fillet safety edge is one solution to the expensive problem of pavement edge drop-offs.
Information Services
Center for Excellence in Rural Safety launches Web site
The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS) launched its Web site, www.ruralsafety.umn.edu, featuring detailed information about the organization and its activities.
Web site provides Minnesota county truck weight info
The Minnesota Truck-Weight Compliance Program Web site, developed in 2006 for Mn/DOT’s State Aid Division by Minnesota LTAP, has introduced a new tool for finding basic county-level truck weight information.
Comparative LTAP search engine now available
New tool lets you search LTAP and TTAP centers more easily.
Events & Training
LTAP Training & Events Calendar
For an up-to-date list of events in Minnesota, please see the LTAP training and events calendar
Compost products control stormwater runoff
on roadways
Compost products can reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality.
Scholarships
MCEA, ASCE offer scholarships.