2019–2020 OPERA Projects
Temporary roadside turf irrigation
Temporary Roadside Turf Irrigation System
The City of Edina Engineering Department built and tested a temporary roadside turf irrigation system with inexpensive common parts for the roadsides of a smaller city road and utilities reconstruction projects as a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to water truck irrigation.
Otta Seal Surface on an Unpaved Granite Road
Franklin Township in Wright County experimented with a relatively inexpensive asphalt surface treatment, known as Otta seal, as a way to reduce maintenance costs and improve ride quality on its high-traffic gravel roads with a crushed granite base.
Side-dumping plow truck
Side-Dumping Plow Truck
Nicollet County Public Works staff found a way to significantly increase its legal hauling capacity and, as a result, greatly improve its operating efficiency by adapting a plow truck to also haul a side-dumping trailer.
Traffic Signal Preemption for Snowplows
The City of St. Cloud Public Works Department has realized a significant improvement in snowplow travel times using traffic signal relative priority preemption technology. The system also provides many more safety and operational benefits.
Sand-Stabilized Dirt Roads
The Kittson County Highway Department produced a significant reduction in rutting on a typical dirt farm road by topping it with a layer of sandy Class 3 aggregate. Such roads often becomes impassible with severe rutting after a summer rain or when exposed to heavy agricultural loads.
Evaluation of a Cement-Stabilized Gravel Road
McLeod County evaluated a cement-stabilized gravel road with a double chip-seal surface for potential causes of its poor performance and to determine potential repair and rehabilitation options.