Pollinators such as rusty-patched bumble bees and monarch butterflies, critical to our eco-system, are at risk due to the loss of native habitat. A University of Minnesota research team, with support of MnDOT and the Local Road Research Board, studied whether restored roadsides could provide safe habitats for declining pollinator populations.
Continue reading Roadside Safe Spaces for Butterflies and BeesCategory Archives: Environment
Expanding Alternative Snow Control Through Landowner Engagement
Some rural landowners maintain snow fences to prevent blowing snow from reaching highways, decreasing the resources MnDOT spends on winter maintenance. A recent project provided new information and updated tools to encourage more landowners to adopt this alternative snow control method.
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Pond Maintenance Strategies to Retain Phosphorus
Cities and counties depend on stormwater retention ponds to protect water quality in lakes and streams. New research sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board has identified cost-effective methods for ensuring pollutants remain in pond sediment and are not released into other bodies of water.
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Developing Transportation Systems Climate Resilience Performance Measures
Climate change is exacerbating weather-related impacts on the transportation system. As floods, droughts, wildfires and other extreme weather events become more common and destructive, transportation infrastructure will need to adapt to become more resilient.
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Researcher Charts Path for Greater use of Electric Freight Vehicles in Minnesota
This article was originally published in Catalyst, May 2022.
In Minnesota, trucking produces about 13 percent of the total pollutants in the state. Moreover, a 2019 EPA report identified the transportation sector as the source of the highest share of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, a problem compounded by the fact that this pollution is more concentrated in urban areas.
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Reusing Local Byproducts in Sustainably Designed Soils
After road construction, soil in revegetation areas must retain adequate stormwater and provide stable embankments along the road. Revegetation can be challenging due to thin topsoil, and it often requires importing healthy organic soil and exporting excess construction soil generally unsuitable for plant growth.
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Assessing Culvert Designs for Aquatic Wildlife Capabilities and Future Resiliency
Culverts that influence the speed, depth or flow of a natural waterway can have a detrimental impact on fish populations. By assessing sites across the state, MnDOT sought to identify the effects the culverts have on aquatic wildlife currently and project what potential flooding and drought scenarios could mean in the future.
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New Project: Identifying Deer-Vehicle Collision Concentrations in Minnesota
Deer-vehicle collisions are a significant risk to public safety on Minnesota roads—causing injuries and death for humans and animals, and property damage. Minnesota ranks among the top 10 riskiest states for deer-vehicle collisions in the nation.
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New Tools and Protocols for Successful Infiltration Facilities
Roadside infiltration facilities like wet ponds and swales have been used for more than 30 years to filter roadway contaminants from stormwater runoff, but they have a high rate of failure due to inaccurate determination of soil infiltration rates.
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Using Noise Barriers and Snow Fencing to Capture Solar Energy
During the past decade, MnDOT has been developing solar projects and actively pursuing cost-effective energy-efficiency measures. Among the potentially effective innovations the agency has considered is adding solar panels to noise barriers and snow fences, transforming these single-function installations to multifunction installations. The electricity generated from this practice could offset installation costs and eventually generate revenue for other purposes.
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