Better Roads

August 2014

Better Roads Digital Magazine

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Better Roads August 2014 19 Applications & Innovations A s with many of the older roadways in the United States, increased traffi c has made them congested and ultimately unsafe. Minnesota State Highway 23 is one roadway facing the dilemma of too much traffi c for a route that has been in existence since the 1920s. The 343-mile highway, located in central Minnesota about 80 miles northwest of Minneapolis, is the second- longest state road in the state. It serves as a major connec- tion between the area's residents and employment centers, as well as being a key recreational and tourist access route. To improve mobility and safety for motorists traveling along the Highway 23 corridor, the Minnesota Depart- ment of Transportation (MnDOT) embarked on a project to extend 7.7 miles of the divided highway. Work began on the Paynesville Bypass project in mid-April 2010 and was completed in July 2012. Along with the construction of a four-lane divided bypass, the project also included grading, construction of eight bridges, surfacing and lighting. Quarry next door To procure materials for the project, the contracting com- pany, KGM Contractors Inc., worked with Cold Spring, Minnesota-based Kraemer Trucking and Excavating Inc. It turned out that the trucking and excavating company didn't have to look any further than its own backyard for the raw materials. Several years ago, Coldspring, headquartered in Cold Spring, began a quest to understand how its business im- pacted the environment and the communities it serves in its quest to become the greenest stone manufacturer in the world. Natural stone is often considered an environmentally preferable material due to its durability, minimal processing needs and local availability in many markets. Coldspring's Quarry Materials Division uses quarried materials that are not suitable for dimensional stone applications to create jetty, rip-rap and aggregate. This extracted stone works well for use on construction Strategizing Safety for How the construction team for Minnesota's Highway 23 Paynesville Bypass completed this project ahead of schedule despite truncated work season. Minnesota Highway 23's Paynes- ville Bypass project included the grading, surfacing, lighting and construction of a four-lane divided bypass and eight bridges.

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