Effective stormwater management helps keep roadway contaminants from entering Minnesota’s lakes and streams. Management practices include soil and vegetation in roadside bioretention systems that filter heavy metals and hydrocarbons created by vehicles. Based on other studies, retention and transformation of roadside pollutants should be improved by biochar application to existing or engineered soils. Abundant sources … Continue reading Developing Biochar Specifications for Stormwater Man...| Crossroads
Premature cracking in reinforced concrete bridge decks is expensive to repair and may lead to rapid bridge deterioration. Despite changes to mix designs, transverse cracking after casting continues…| Crossroads
More than 60% of the world’s turtle species are endangered, including Blanding’s and wood turtles, which are native to Minnesota and may be found in the state’s wetlands, ponds, lakes and streams. …| Crossroads
A significant number of school bus stop-arm violations occur every day throughout the country. In Minnesota, violation and citation data suggests these incidents are grossly underreported and under…| Crossroads
Addressing the increasing need for pavement materials coincides with an increasing supply of plastic waste. Incorporating recycled plastic into aggregate for transportation infrastructure is of growing interest. Testing plastic waste material in both asphalt and concrete pavement mixtures revealed promising results and the need to explore long-term performance and durability. Availability of good quality aggregate … Continue reading Testing Recycled Plastics in Asphalt and Concrete Paveme...| Crossroads
Pavement markings make travel safer for all road users. However, the material used for retroreflectivity can be slicker than the surrounding pavement. To maximize the safety of bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians, MnDOT and local agencies explored the friction values of different marking materials. Project results produced valuable information on relative friction between pavement and marking … Continue reading Evaluating the Friction of Pavement Markings and Colored Pavement→| Crossroads
MnDOT currently requires corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes to be made with 100% virgin materials. However, recent changes to federal standards allow for the use of corrugated HDPE pipes manufactured with more sustainable postconsumer and postindustrial recycled content. This project examined and compared the performance of both types of corrugated pipes to determine the suitability … Continue reading Evaluation of Corrugated Pipes Manufactured with Recycled Materials→| Crossroads
Treating early deterioration in concrete pavement can extend a road’s service life and defer costly replacement. An assessment of different strategies years later demonstrated that over time, asphalt overlays made the roadways smoother for travelers. Some roads built in Minnesota in the late 1980s and early 1990s have deteriorated at an accelerated rate as a … Continue reading Strategies for Addressing Deteriorated Concrete Roads→| Crossroads
Automated vehicle (AV) features such as adaptive cruise control could significantly increase driver safety and mobility. But in some circumstances, these features can alter vehicle movement and spacing, and interfere with traffic flow. This project analyzed the integration of varying levels of AVs with human-driven vehicles (HVs) and the impact on ramp meter operations to … Continue reading Impacts of Automated Vehicle Feature Integration→| Crossroads
The production and use of construction materials for transportation projects have varying impacts on the environment based on factors such as production process, transportation and material inputs. To mitigate negative outcomes, MnDOT sought to incorporate environmental impacts into the procurement process for concrete mixtures and concrete pavement. This project provided a framework for considering environmental … Continue reading Incorporating Sustainability into the Procurement Process→| Crossroads
Solar snow fences not only retain the benefits of a traditional snow fence by controlling blowing and drifting snow in winter, they create green energy throughout the year. However, to be effective…| Crossroads