WHICH COMPLIES WITH STATE AND
COUNTY RULES.
THE THEY WILL LOOK IN TO ADDING
MORE WHEN IT GETS CROWDED.
MANY MOTORISTS SAY THE
SEASON HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO
DEAL WITH.
THERE IS THIS MORNING GOOD NEWS
FOR DRIVERS IN THE EAST METRO.
THE WESTBOUND LANES BETWEEN 35E
AND HIGHWAY 280, RE-OPENED LAST
NIGHT A DAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
IN THE WEST METRO SOUTHBOUND,
IS STILL CLOSED BETWEEN MAPLE
FOR PAVEMENT AND BRIDGE
REPAIRS.
ALL LANES OF 394 ARE OPEN AND
WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW TO WORK
ON THE EASTBOUND LANES OF 394
ON FRIDAY.
ALL THE EASTBOUND TRAFFIC OUT
OF DOWNTOWN WILL USE THE HOV
LANES, BETWEEN HIGHWAY 100
INTERSTATE 94 FOR TWO WEEKS.
THE RESURFACED 394 WESTBOUND
LANES ARE NOT THE SMOOTHEST.
MIN DOT BE BLIND DOWN THE SEE
MENT TO MAKE IT SMOOTHER AND
QUIETER.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS
IS SUE, THE CHIEF ENGINEER FROM
MIN DOT AND DEPUTY
COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
YOU ARE WELCOME.
LET ME ASK YOU ON THE FACT,
SO MUCH IS GOING ON IN THE WEST
METRO, PEOPLE SAY WHY DID YOU
HAVE TO DO 494, 1394 AT THE
SAME TIME?
WE HAVE A ROBUST SYSTEM OF
MANAGING ASSETS AND PAVEMENT
MANAGEMENT IS ONE OF THOSE.
WE LOOK VERY FAR AHEAD TO SEE
WHAT CONDITION THE ROADS ARE
IN, HOW MUCH TRAFFIC IS ON
THEM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
494 CAME UP NOW, TO BE REPAIRED
AND HAVE ADDITIONAL LANE
CAPACITY ADDED AND THERE IS
BRIDGE WORK DONE ON THERE.
394 IN THE SAME VINTAGE, THAT
THE YEARS THAT THE ROADS WERE
BUILT REQUIRES THAT WE TAKE
TIME AND PAY ATTENTION TO THEM
AND DO SOME MAINTENANCE AND
RECONSTRUCTION ON THEM.
IN THE CASE OF 394S IT IS TO
IMPROVE THE NOISE, ISSUE WE HAD
PUT AN OVERLAY ON THAT
PAVEMENT.
IT WAS FOR NOISE TO MAKE IT
LESS NOISY FOR NEIGHBORS AND
THAT IS WEARING OUT.
WE ARE TAKING THAT OFF AND THE
DIAMOND GRINDING THAT YOU
TALKED ABOUT IS PART OF THE
NOISE CONTROL EFFORT ALONG 394.
PAUSE YOU DRIVE ON THE B --
BECAUSE IF YOU DRIVE ON THE
WESTBOUND LANES, THEY ARE
ROUGH.
YOU WILL BE GRINDING THAT DOWN
SO THERE WILL BE PARTIAL
CLOSURES.
DIAMOND GRINDING.
WE WILL CLOSE THE LANES TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN.
IT PROVIDES GROOVES THAT HELP
THE RUBBER FROM THE TIES BE
QUIETER -- TIRES BE QUIETER.
HOW MUCH DOES MIP DOT CALL
OR STUCK TO CITIES AND COUNTIES
TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE
GOING TO BE DOING.
THE ENTRANCES, A FEW BLOCKS
FROM HERE ARE UNDER
CONSTRUCTION MAKING IT WORSEM
MY FRIENDS FROM ST. PAUL SAY
LOOK AT FORD PARKWAY AND
KELLOGG.
ARE YOU COORDINATING THIS?
WE DO COORDINATE WITH
COUNTIES AND CITIES ESPECIALLY
A IN THE METRO AREA.
THE ALTERNATE ROUTES OFTEN
TIMES ARE THE LOCAL STREETS.
THE THING WE HAVE GOING IS THAT
MANY OF THE PAVEMS AND ROADWAYS
WERE BILL AROUND THE SAME TIME.
WE ALL NEED TO GET IN AND DO
THE WORK AT THE RIGHT TIMES
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, YOU HAVE
HIGHER COSTS FOR REPAIRS AND
REPLACEMENTS IN THE FUTURE
YEARS.
WE DO COORDINATE THOSE AS WELL
AS WE CAN.
ITS FRUSTRATING FOR PEOPLE WHEN
THEY GET OFF OF THE SYSTEM AND
ON A COUNTY ROAD AND EXPERIENCE
THE SAME SORT OF TRAFFIC
PROBLEM THEY JUST GOT OFF OF,
WE DO VERY MUCH TRY TO
COORDINATE WITH CITIES AND
COUNTIES WITH THE VINTAGE OF
THE ROADWAY S AND HIGHWAYS IS
AND THE SAME TIME.
WE ARE COMING UP DIDN'T
ANNIVERSARY OF THE 35W BRIDGE
COLLAPSE.
IT HAPPENED IN AUGUST IN 2007.
MIN DOT WANTED MORE MONEY FROM
FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS STATE, ARE
WE PUTTING ENOUGH IN TO OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE.
ARE YOU WHERE YOU SIT, DO YOU
SAY, I HOPE THIS DOESN'T
HAPPEN.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES.
ARE WE SAFE?
WE ARE VERY, VERY SAFE.
I DRIVE AROUND THE METRO AREA
AND ACROSS THE STATE ALL THE
TIME.
THE 35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE HAD TO
DO WITH THE DESIGN DEFECT FROM
40 YEARS BEFORE THAT.
AS FAR AS RESOURCES, THE NEEDS
OUTWEIGH THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING
WE DO GET AND I DON'T THINK
THAT'S UNCOMMON EVEN FOR
COUNTIES OR CITIES OR LOCAL
AGENCIES.
IF WE HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDING WE
WOULD BE ABLE TO PLAN BETTER,
WE TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS TO TRY
AND MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS ALL
THE ISSUES THAT ARE OUT THERE,
MIN DOT AND LOCAL AGENCIES, OUR
JOB IS TO PROVIDE SAFE
EFFICIENT ROADWAYS TO THE VERY
BEST OF OUR ABILITY, THAT'S
WHAT WE TRY TO DO.
OUR SIS STEM IS SAFE AND -- OUR
SYSTEM IS SAFE.
WE WILL TAKE MEASURES TO CLOSE
OR RESTRICT BRIDGES OR ROADWAYS
THAT ARE GOING TO BE NOT AS