Materials and Construction, research

New Project: Using Satellite Technology to Monitor Ground Deformations Adjacent to Roads

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Geohazards generated by ground movements (e.g., landslides, subsidence, sink holes, etc.) cause substantial damage and interruptions to Minnesota’s highway network. Reactive monitoring approaches and borehole-based instrument sensing both have limited spatial coverage and are limited to sites already known to be in distress. This research explores the establishment of continuous satellite-based InSAR monitoring of ground deformations adjacent to roads on a broad geographic scale that would enable detection of pending hazards before they develop into large failures.

To receive email updates about this project, visit MnDOT’s Office of Research & Innovation to subscribe.

This warning system will combine data from high spatial resolution InSAR measurements, optical remote sensing data, and deep learning algorithms to automatically detect and continuously monitor deformations across large spatial regions. The research team will create MnDOT training modules to demonstrate the utility of the deformation data and automated warning system.

InSAR monitoring is expected to improve the safety and reliability of Minnesota’s transportation system and reduce costs and delays associated with emergency repairs. It would also support the state’s geotechnical asset management program by assessing the feasibility of InSAR for tracking performance of geotechnical assets (e.g. retaining walls, slopes, pavement foundations, etc.).

“This research project will help us determine if InSAR technology is ready for prime time for transportation agencies as a remote sensing tool to track performance of assets,“ said Raul Velasquez, geomechanics research & deployment engineer at MnDOT’s Office of Materials and Road Research.

The Objectives:

  1. Develop an automated warning system that can alert MnDOT staff of areas where abnormal ground deformation (e.g., landslides, subsidence, and sinkholes) is occurring along Minnesota interstate highways, allowing them to proactively intervene.
  2. Assist MnDOT in continuing to build its geotechnical asset management program by assessing the feasibility of InSAR for tracking performance of geotechnical assets such as retaining walls, slopes, and pavement foundations.

Project Details

Details of the research study work plan and timeline are subject to change.

To receive email updates about this project, visit MnDOT’s Office of Research & Innovation to subscribe.

Traffic and Safety

Alerting Drivers Dangerously Approaching Work Zones

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Motorists driving dangerously in work zones present a safety risk to workers and themselves. Alerting these drivers about their driving behavior before they reach the work zone could reduce the number of work zone crashes and enhance work zone safety. This project developed and evaluated the performance of a device that provides audio and visual alerts to drivers whose vehicles are approaching work zones at a high speed and on a dangerous trajectory.

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Bridges and Structures

Strategies to Prevent Joint Separations in Culverts

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Culverts are essential components of urban and rural infrastructure that guide and channel water under roads and embankments. The most common failure affecting culverts is joint separation between segments of the concrete pipes. This project examined the predictors and factors that lead to joint separations in culverts to determine practices that will decrease future separations.

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electric vehicles, Policy and Planning, research

CTS Webinar: EV Infrastructure and Fuel Policy—Understanding the Transportation and Economic Impacts

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Thursday, April 23, 2026, 2:00–3:30 pm, Virtual

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About the Webinar

Transportation policy and energy markets are evolving rapidly as states explore strategies to reduce emissions and support new fuel technologies. This webinar will examine two current policy areas shaping transportation systems: electric vehicle infrastructure development and low-carbon fuel standards.

Beth Kallestad from MnDOT’s Office of Sustainability and Public Health will provide an overview of Minnesota’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Her presentation will discuss how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and NEVI funding have shaped the development of EV infrastructure in Minnesota, the program’s current status, and what to expect in the next phase of implementation.

Monica Haynes and Neil Wilmot from the University of Minnesota Duluth will highlight a 2025 study that examined the relationship between low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) programs and gasoline prices. They will explore how LCFS programs in other states have affected retail fuel costs and discuss the challenges of predicting the economic impacts of a potential LCFS program in Minnesota.

Through these presentations, webinar attendees will gain insights into how emerging transportation energy policies influence infrastructure planning and economic outcomes.

Speakers

Beth Kallestad is the sustainable transportation planning director with MnDOT’s Office of Sustainability and Public Health. She has a wide range of experience in the environmental field, including in the private, government, academic, and nonprofit sectors.  This experience has given her a strong background in the management and implementation of a variety of sustainability planning efforts, public and stakeholder engagement, effective communications, trust building, and collaboration. Beth joined MnDOT in June 2022 and has focused her work on the development and implementation of the EV infrastructure program with federal NEVI funding and supporting MnDOT’s internal fleet transition. 

Monica Haynes has served as the director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Minnesota Duluth since 2014, supervising a small team of student researchers and a writer/editor. During her time in this role, the department has completed more than 90 funded research projects on a wide range of topics related to current events, proposed development opportunities, and economic trends. She also serves as adjunct faculty in the Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE), as chair of LSBE’s outreach committee, and on the Duluth Workforce Development Board. 

Neil A. Wilmot is an associate professor and head of the Department of Economics and Health Care Management, Labovitz School of Business and Economics, at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is also an associate of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. Wilmot’s research interests include energy economics and energy commodities, encompassing a wide range of topics including oil and gas markets, renewable energy integration, and energy pricing mechanisms. He has published numerous articles in leading energy economics journals, including Energy Economics, Resource and Energy Economics, and The Energy Journal.

Registration

This webinar is free, but registration is required. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link. The link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.

Related Reading

Transitioning to EV Fleets: Best Practices and a Decision Tool | MnDOT Digital Library

Bridges and Structures, Environment, research

CTS Webinar: Species from Feces—A New Tool to Identify Bats in Culverts and on Bridges

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Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 12:00–1:30 pm, Virtual

About the Webinar

Bats frequently use bridges and culverts as roosting habitat, creating challenges for transportation agencies working to balance infrastructure needs with environmental compliance. Traditional visual surveys can be limited, especially when bats are hidden within structures or present only intermittently. 

This webinar will highlight ongoing research exploring the use of DNA analysis from bat feces (guano) as a noninvasive method to identify bat species occupying culverts and bridges. Speaker Ron Moen will discuss how this approach works, share early findings from field applications, and explore how the results could support more efficient environmental review, project planning, and species protection efforts for transportation agencies.

It is being held in conjunction with a CTS Environment and Energy in Transportation Council meeting.

Speaker

Ron Moen is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth and a senior research associate with the Natural Resources Research Institute’s Center for Water and the Environment. His research focuses on mammalian ecology, including habitat use, movement patterns, and predator–prey interactions, often using GPS radiotelemetry. His current work includes studies on moose, Canada lynx, American marten, wood turtles, bats, and other wildlife, as well as projects related to climate change impacts and carnivore monitoring in the Upper Midwest.

Registration

This webinar is free, but registration is required. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link. The link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.

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Follow the Research

Species From Feces: A New Tool to Identify Bats in Culverts and on Bridges

Traffic and Safety

Evaluating the Safety Impacts of Select Pedestrian Infrastructure

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To enhance pedestrian safety at intersections, transportation agencies may install temporary or permanent infrastructure such as curb extensions or pedestrian refuge islands. While more permanent infrastructure with concrete is generally considered effective, specific details about temporary infrastructure with flexible delineators (or bollards), such as installation, use and safety impact, would be valuable to optimize cost-effectiveness. This project evaluated both temporary and permanent pedestrian infrastructure at crossing sites to measure the effects on pedestrian safety and driver behavior.

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research

Call for Presentations: 2026 CTS Transportation Research Conference

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The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has called for speakers. If you have recently completed or participated in an innovative transportation-related research, implementation, or engagement activity, consider sharing your work in a presentation at the 2026 CTS Transportation Research Conference!

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Policy and Planning

CTS Webinar: Industry and International Perspectives on AI Integration

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Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 9:00–10:30 am CST, Virtual

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing how transportation and infrastructure projects are planned, delivered, and communicated. This Education and Engagement Council webinar builds on CTS’s earlier AI discussion by highlighting how AI is being used in practice, both nationally and internationally.

Speakers from outside Minnesota will share real-world examples of AI integration in infrastructure and construction contexts. Nicole Moon, Strategic Communications Highways and Roads Market Sector Lead at HDR, will discuss how AI is supporting transportation agencies and project teams through applied industry use.


Mr. Tomi Kotala, Project Director, City of Helsinki Public Works Department, and Mr. Pieti Marjavaara, Chief Innovation Officer, Construction Management, AINS Group, will discuss the Infrastructure Programme Helsinki, Finland. This strategic urban development initiative focused on designing and constructing a sustainable future for the city, including a massive expansion of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) network. They will demonstrate how their approach to Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and alliance models optimizes infrastructure lifecycles through fair partnership. Efficiency is driven by Knowledge Management and industrial construction via data-driven, repeatable processes. The Project-AI concept evolves situational awareness into active AI-driven support for all project members, ensuring smarter, more predictable, and value-driven outcomes.

This webinar is designed to foster shared learning and discussion around how AI is being adopted today, why organizations are investing in these tools, and what lessons transportation professionals can take from industry and international experience. It is intended for practitioners, researchers, students, and others interested in the evolving role of AI in transportation and infrastructure.

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Continue reading CTS Webinar: Industry and International Perspectives on AI Integration →
Materials and Construction

Assessing Recycled Pavement for Use in Road Design

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Cold recycling road pavement materials into new road construction is a cost-effective and sustainable practice. However, the properties of these materials must be characterized to adequately design pavement structures. This project developed a framework and tool for transportation agencies to estimate the key material properties of cold recycled materials incorporated into road designs.

Continue reading Assessing Recycled Pavement for Use in Road Design →

Minnesota's transportation research blog