Just in time for spring, new guidance is available from the Minnesota Local Research Board on the best irrigation methods to establish fresh turfgrass. Researchers tested five irrigation methods for watering new installations of salt-tolerant turfgrass. They developed an instructional course for contractors and guidance for homeowners to promote successful turfgrass installation.
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Improving Traffic Volume Estimates By Monitoring Health of Loop DetecTORS
A newly developed system helps traffic engineers quickly spot failing loop detectors, which are used to monitor traffic volumes on Minnesota highways. The software program, developed by the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, evaluates loop detector data and reports current loop detector health in an easy-to-read graphic format, making it easy to identify loop detectors in need of repair and which loop detectors should be used for the most accurate traffic counts.
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Redesigned iron-enhanced ditch checks could help filter pollutants from stormwater runoff
This article was originally published in Catalyst, April 2020.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is exploring innovative ways to filter pollutants from stormwater runoff and meet permit requirements for construction projects. In a recent study, U of M researchers documented the performance of an iron-enhanced ditch check filter to remove phosphates from stormwater. They found that the filter was effective, though its performance decreased over time.
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Transverse Rumble Strips: Another Tool for Rural Road Safety?
Rural intersections account for 30% of crashes in rural areas and 6% of all fatal crashes, representing a significant but poorly understood safety problem.
Transverse rumble strips are one low-cost measure that some states have deployed to reduce rural intersection crashes.
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Regional effort tests turfgrass performance in cold climate states
This article was originally published in Catalyst, April 2020.
Vibrant green grass along roadways is a common sight across urban and rural landscapes in Minnesota and many other states, but its survival is a significant challenge—especially in cold climates. Roadway salt and other stressors can cause turfgrass installations to fail, requiring expensive reseeding or sodding efforts.
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Low-Cost Pavement Condition Forecasting Software Eases Local Road Planning
The Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) has added pavement condition forecasting technology to an existing, web-based roadway inventory tool that will enable counties to generate low-cost maps and reports that help them prioritize their work by showing how roadway conditions will look under different construction scenarios for decades to come.
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New Project: Proactive mapping helps MnDOT identify and respond to risk of slope failure along Minnesota highways
Slope failures can block roads, damage pavement and cause safety hazards. They can also be costly to repair.
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Methods to Mitigate Bridge Corrosion Show Mixed Results 20 Years Later
Well-documented efforts undertaken two decades ago to mitigate corrosion of a Highway 394 reinforced concrete bridge have given researchers the perfect scenario for evaluating the treatments’ long-term effectiveness. The test results are mixed: State-of-the-art methods for electrochemical chloride extraction and fiber-reinforced polymer wrapping of bridge elements performed well in combination, but poorly in isolation.
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Promoting Snow Fence Adoption in Minnesota
A new research study has shown that few landowners know about MnDOT’s snow fence program, its benefits to community safety and mobility, and incentives to install snow fences. Following community meetings and surveys in four regions of Minnesota, researchers identified promising promotional methods for the snow fence program, the constraints landowners face in adopting snow fences, and incentives and assistance to improve snow fence adoption. Project results will guide MnDOT’s efforts to expand the use of snow fences around the state
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Guide for Converting Distressed Low-Volume Paved Roads to Unpaved Roads
Working with an advisory panel of road managers from local agencies, researchers have developed a practitioner-ready guide for converting severely distressed low-volume paved roads to improved, easily maintained gravel roads. The guide includes decision-making tools and an online webinar for training.
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Crossroads 