Thought Leadership

Designing and Improving the Snake River Bridge

August 28, 2024
By Carl Osberg, PE, Director of Structures, WSB

Meeting Traffic Demands and Environmental standards with aesthetic sensitivity

As with many instances of aging infrastructure, the bridge across the Snake River to the East of Pine City, MN reached a point in its lifespan where it needed to be redesigned and replaced. Construction projects like bridges require focused attention to a variety of elements to not only ensure the bridge is sound and long lasting, but also to ensure no concerns are created like blocking off access from boats or environmental concerns. The Snake River Bridge scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024 provides a superb example of the many facets that make up bridge design.

Meeting Traffic Needs

One point of consideration for bridges are current and future traffic needs. Previously, if farm equipment needed to cross from both sides of the bridge there would be issues. With the newest designs, the addition of extra wide shoulders allows for traffic to flow whether by car or larger. Through traffic forecasting, a bridge design can meet the needs of the current levels of traffic and those estimated for up to 40 years of potential population growth in the area. This project’s analysis deemed additional lanes unnecessary so long as the extra wide shoulders were included. Ensuring the bridge is only as big as is needed will save considerable time and money.

Considering Environmental Data and Concerns

In bridge design, gathering hydraulic data about the river is imperative to ensure that not only will the bridge be able to handle expected seasonal water depths and the speed of the river’s flow, but also to ensure that any bridge design avoids negatively impacting the areas downstream. For example, the updated trail on either side of the bridge included designs for updated drainage ponds and piping to prevent the road and nearby residences from being affected during heavy rains.

When tearing down an existing bridge, care must be taken to ensure that the river is not polluted, and animal habitats are not unnecessarily impacted. Specifically for the Snake River project, remnants of an older bridge still remained and new designs included removal. For both environmental concerns and financial reasons, the Snake River Bridge was designed with the impetus of ensuring durability and expandability. Not only is the bridge made to last, but also if population growth surpasses estimates the bridge can be more easily expanded to fit the new needs rather than torn down and rebuilt again.

To meet environmental and safety concerns, plans for a path underneath the bridge were included in the design that will grant extra protection for drivers, pedestrians, and the local wildlife once the bridge is completed and put to use. Accessible paths allow for foot traffic of both people and animals to maneuver safely without needing to cross the street.

Reducing Costs

Steps were taken through data gathering and design to limit unnecessary costs. These aspects include adding contingencies in relation to the soil and bedrock. Through geotechnical data gathering, it was identified that there are high levels of bedrock close to the surface in the construction area. Building with bedrock is difficult and attention was given to include contingencies on how to handle different bedrock or soil conditions during construction to ensure the project does not stop and cost money and time. Additionally, to limit excess costs geotechnical data was able to be acquired by drilling through the old bridge and into the soil rather than using a barge. Using a barge for data gathering would have drastically increased costs.

A Completed Project With Aesthetic Appeal

Bridge designs like the one used for the Snake River Bridge meet the needs of the communities that use it, protect against environmental impacts to the water, soil and local animals, reduce costs, and provide a timetable to ensure the bridge will be constructed and reopened without delay. Even down to forgoing the usual plain rectangular shapes and including parabolic arches to for little additional funds to make the bridge more attractive and not stand out so much against the beautiful environment around it. Creating not only a finished usable bridge, but one that is attentive to the various needs of the community, the land it sits on, and the river it crosses are what bridge design is all about.

Land Development and Planning in Tribal Communities

August 30, 2024
By Jay Adams, Proposal and Tribal Client Manager, WSB

Optimizing resources for community growth and infrastructure.

Over 40% of the land in Oklahoma is made up of tribal communities and 38 federally recognized tribes call the state home, including the Kickapoo Tribal Community. The large presence of tribal communities within the state increases the importance of coordination and collaboration on construction projects. In addition, recent legislation is encouraging development in and around this land. With so many players, it is extremely important to have clear coordination and concise communications. These Tribal Nations, just like any other government, regularly seek out grant funding for development purposes. The Kickapoo filed for grant funding after identifying a variety of infrastructure improvements needed within their community, including improving land usage and building renovation.

Improving Land Usage

With newly acquired grant funding, the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma identified the need to update their wastewater treatment sites. Wastewater treatment lagoons, like the ones used on their land, require far less maintenance than other water treatment systems. However, communities that rely on these lagoons struggle with odor problems, especially during warm weather and the inability to develop the large spaces occupied by the lagoons. To rectify this problem, our team noted that the current sewage system needed to be expanded. Using the new lift stations, the lagoons will be drained, and all of the sewage and contaminants flushed through newly installed pipelines to an existing mechanical wastewater treatment plant.

To improve efficiency for current and future projects, we created a detailed land survey with aerial mapping to identify the exact locations of all new installations as well as any potential issues that could negatively affect the system expansion. Furthermore, the removal of the lagoons combined with the land survey will provide the Kickapoo Tribe with new opportunities to develop previously unusable land for agricultural, residential or industrial purposes.

Building Renovations

In addition to wastewater treatment, the Tribe received grants dedicated to refurbishing older buildings. To better use available land and infrastructure, the Kickapoo Tribe partnered with WSB to create a plan to redevelop an old equipment building. The old storage building will be redesigned and updated for future use as an office building for the Tribal Government’s information technology staff. To aid in this venture, WSB is coordinating with an architecture firm to provide initial drawings and architectural maps for the building.

Throughout this process, the Kickapoo Tribe find value in working with a full-service firm to support their growing infrastructure needs throughout their community.  As many systems impact one another, the ability for in-house expertise has allowed them to better utilize funding and resources across their community and better plan for future expansions.

Planning For the Future

The access and availability to grants is an opportunity for not only the Kickapoo Tribe, but other Tribal Nations across Oklahoma and the U.S. With more resources than ever before, tribal communities can better position themselves to support the infrastructure needs of their communities.

From the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico: Solving Water Issues

September 19, 2024
By Karla Lopez, Senior Graduate Engineer, WSB

Creating Sustainable solutions for diverse environmental conditions.

From daily life to supply chains and beyond, water plays a key role in our world, especially in Texas. In the Lone Star State scarcity like droughts is a common issue in some areas, and more regular rainfall is quite common in others. Comparatively, states like Minnesota far more regularly experience flooding from heavy rains or snowfall which require different ideas and solutions for water management.

Water Allocation and Project Resiliency

Water resource management is critical for every city, especially in arid climates like Texas. Ensuring infrastructure can withstand inclement weather while following natural drainage paths is key. As engineers, we strive to design and implement drainage systems to collect and convey stormwater runoff to minimize the likelihood and impact of floods on communities, infrastructure and properties. Initial project planning includes improvising and adjusting the land around the site while attempting to mimic the existing natural drainage pattern using storm drains and other techniques However, a lack of proper infrastructure can inhibit proper drainage systems.

When infrastructure development begins it requires copious amounts of planning. First, surveying is required to ensure the infrastructure is not being built in a floodplain zone. Maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies are used to model existing water levels as a metric for the new project to prevent an increase in flooding. One of the primary goals in using these maps is to ensure that the project does not increase the previous amounts of water discharge. Caution must be taken to prevent increases in water quantities at any construction site. Additionally, in areas like Texas, the infrastructure needs to withstand natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and coastal flooding.

Improving Water Quality

Infrastructure is only one facet of the issues different communities face. Water purification is a key component of water management, especially when dealing with dirty water. Before collected water is discharged into a river or lake, it goes through different cleaning processes, like filtration ponds, rain gardens and more. Some communities may have proper drainage systems but may not have up-to-date purification systems. This can lead to disparities in the quality of water between different communities.

Differing Climates from State to State

In making state to state comparisons, projects in Texas and Minnesota must work with regulations in both states. Texas is under near-constant threat of a lengthy dry season due to the heat and rare rains. Texas relies heavily on groundwater resources, but due to water scarcity and drought problems the state is facing, the groundwater is depleting. Thus, the regulations in Texas are not as strict as Minnesota’s rules, but that is a double-edged sword. Less regulations can lead to more pollution of water or greater deterioration while more regulation in Minnesota requires far more planning and permitting which slows down projects.

Minnesota, meanwhile, manages the threat of flooding, requiring a thoughtful approach to drainage. There is heavy reliance on watershed assessments which are taken incredibly seriously, especially with the massive number of lakes in the state. Exceptional care is taken to prevent the Land of 10,000 Lakes from becoming polluted due to old or malfunctioning infrastructure.

Tackling Water Issues from Rains to Droughts

Engineering and water management is both an art and a science that requires a careful approach to account for a variety of factors. This is true whether a project is being built to withstand a hurricane or ensuring a project does not cause heavy snowfall to flood neighboring homes. The United States makes up a wide variety of climates with an equally wide variety of potential water related issues that need to be navigated. Like with the varying communities in Texas, all construction projects need to be treated with care whether facing droughts or heavy rains or somewhere else in between.

Achieving Safer Roadways Through ADA Compliance

May 13, 2024
By Gus Perron, Project Manager, WSB

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an incredibly important civil rights law that also provides a standard for which engineers can create safer roadways and communities. In 2010, the ADA Standards for Accessible Design provided a clearer minimum for what needs to be achieved for access friendly design. In August of 2023, the US Access Board improved upon those standards by issuing their Final Rule on the Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). Meeting these standards not only provides greater access for people with disabilities, but also improves designs that better the entire community.

Benefits for All Community Members

ADA standards on walkways and street crossings do not just provide improved accessibility for people with disabilities. Rather, all community members benefit from inclusive designs, such as parents pushing children in strollers or children riding a scooter. By improving pedestrian crossings, like placing curb ramps in locations that shorten crosswalks, communities can both meet ADA compliance requirements and improve safety. When pedestrian travel is easier and safer for people with disabilities it is easier and safer for all pedestrians.

Beyond safety and mobility concerns, properly following ADA guidelines when installing curb ramps makes maintenance far easier. For instance, antiquated pedestrian curb ramps that do not fulfill ADA compliance standards are not always wide enough or aligned to accommodate snow removal vehicles. With accessibility, safety, and maintenance in mind, heightened attention to detail is required to ensure all community members are affected for the better.

Understanding Project Needs First-Hand

To best understand the needs of a project and how to ensure it aligns with ADA standards, looking at top-down maps only goes so far. A pre-design field walk grants a closer look at the work needing to be done, what design options are feasible, what are the impacts, and much more. This pre-design effort provides a deeper understanding of how to properly link project needs to ADA standards while mitigating risks in project delivery. Procuring first-hand knowledge of every crossing, curb ramp, neighboring utility, property line, and every other inch of a project will allow greater ease in matching the various guidelines and standards like PROWAG. Having a deep understanding of ADA guidelines with first-hand knowledge of a project can ensure accessibility, lower costs and mitigate risks.

What WSB Can Do To Help

WSB provides a knowledgeable team with experience analyzing and working on hundreds of projects to meet the requirements set out by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Through this experienced team, our clients, stakeholders and communities achieve safer and more accessible living. Thoughtful designs will also improve safety and maintenance operations for communities. The design of pedestrian infrastructure for ADA needs can have a sweeping, positive impact on community and WSB can help execute strategic accessible designs that work for everyone.

What Is Driving the Demand for Bike and Pedestrian Park Space?

May 20, 2024

By Jordan Gedrose, Landscape Architect, WSB

Published by League of Minnesota Cities in the May-June month’s issue of the Minnesota Cities Magazine. MN Cities Magazine May-June

In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for bike and pedestrian park spaces across the nation, which has also become prevalent in cities across Minnesota. The trend reflects a shift in societal values. There are several factors we are seeing connected to this trend, including public engagement influencing demand, recognition of bicycle and pedestrian park space benefits, and the effects these types of park spaces have on city infrastructure.

Public engagement

Public engagement is increasingly encouraging communities to prioritize investments in bicycle and pedestrian park space, reflecting a growing interest in recreational spaces and active transportation corridors. As community members and stakeholders become more vocal about their desire for healthier, safer, and more sustainable communities, decision makers are responding by allocating resources to expand and enhance infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

Advancements in technology, such as social media, have provided new methods to collect citizens’ feedback and has led to an increase in community engagement participation. These methods allow cities to notify community members about opportunities through a variety of channels, which reach a high percentage of the people in each area. Online interactive maps, comment boards, and virtual meetings — methods spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic — allow for greater participation and input than only hosting in-person events.

The pandemic also underscored the importance of outdoor spaces for recreation and social distancing, while also emphasizing park spaces and trails that cater to diverse user groups. By engaging the community, cities and counties can clearly understand needs and are better prepared to provide meaningful bike and pedestrian experiences.

Health benefits

Bicycle and pedestrian park spaces offer a multitude of benefits that contribute to the health, activity, and environment of a city. Regarding health: bike and pedestrian park spaces promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles by providing safe and accessible trails for walking, jogging, and cycling, which can lead to a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. These spaces are designed to be accessible to all age groups and abilities. Research provided by City Parks Alliance found that walking loops increase park use by 80%.

Connectivity

Infrastructure that allows bicycle and pedestrian park spaces fosters connectivity between neighborhoods, business districts, and recreational areas — enhancing overall mobility and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.

Communities, big and small, are experiencing improved connectivity, heightened accessibility to amenities, and a revitalization of public spaces spurred on by bike and pedestrian focused infrastructure. Properties located near parks and trail corridors typically attract investment, as parks and trails are often viewed as desirable amenities that enhance quality of life and contribute to a higher standard of living. According to City Parks Alliance, houses near parks or trails have 8-10% higher property values than those in the surrounding community.

Bike and pedestrian park spaces contribute to the creation of vibrant and inclusive communities by providing opportunities for social interaction and recreation — fostering a sense of belonging and connection among residents. These spaces provide opportunities for people to connect with nature, even in urban environments, which has shown positive effects on mental well-being and reducing stress.

Environmental factors

In regard to the environment, prioritizing bike and pedestrian infrastructure promotes active transportation and encourages residents to opt for emission-free modes of transportation, reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting active transportation and reducing reliance on cars, bicycle and pedestrian park spaces contribute to more sustainable and resilient cities, with improved mobility, accessibility, and environmental stewardship. Bicycle and pedestrian corridors also provide habitat corridors for wildlife, contributing to the biodiversity within a community.

Notable challenges

While these spaces offer many benefits, a few challenges of incorporating bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure may include funding, maintenance, site constraints, and community opposition. The expansion of bicycle and pedestrian park space significantly impacts city infrastructure, ushering in a wave of changes to communities.

Cities across Minnesota are seeing an increase in demand for bicycle and pedestrian park space attributed to an increase in community engagement participation and acknowledgement of the health, recreational, and environmental benefits. Cities have continued to adapt to this evolving infrastructure demand through comprehensive planning efforts and investment in park and trail infrastructure. By implementing these improvements, communities can enhance their quality of life for residents and position themselves as an attractive destination for tourists.

Geotechnical Survey: Three Issues it Can Mitigate in Your Project

June 7, 2024

By Zack Munstermann, PE, Geotechnical Engineer, WSB

A geotechnical survey is a necessity for any construction project to gain an in-depth understanding of underlying soil conditions in order to mitigate costly issues that, if not properly addressed, could damage foundations, walls, pavements and utilities. A good geotechnical survey provides the necessary information like soil strength, depth to bedrock, groundwater levels or slope stability. Knowing what to look for and what to address will improve a project’s design, construction efforts and operations over time. With that in mind, here are a few of the top issues a good geotechnical survey can help to identify and mitigate in your project.

Depth to Bedrock and Related Costs

A geotechnical survey is necessary to understand subsurface conditions and how they will impact a project’s earthwork, structural stability, and costs. Depth to bedrock can heavily influence cost and foundational stability. For instance, if a structure is not designed and built with consideration to bedrock depth, excavation costs could increase and the foundations and walls may experience damage over time requiring future repair work. Shallow depth bedrock is often a benefit for stability and lower project costs. On the other hand, deep layers of bedrock could cause foundational stability issues and will require far more excavation, or a redesign of the foundation leading to higher project costs. What is present in the ground beneath a construction project will dictate potential long-lasting issues that require attention like recurring damages and sinking foundations.

Clay Swelling and Chemical Treatments

Swelling clay, if not properly treated, will drastically increase the risk of structural damage and the need for costly repairs over time. Clay acts like a sponge that cyclically absorbs water and swells before drying and shrinking. After clay soil is properly evaluated through a geotechnical survey and testing, the soil needs to be treated. A survey identifies how much the clay could potentially swell or shrink over time, in order to right-size the treatment plan and not waste valuable resources on excessive excavation, or other costly mitigation measures. One common solution is a moisture treatment, where moisture is mixed into the clay during mass excavation and forced to swell; then, the pre-swelled soil under the foundation is replaced. This ensures swelling does not affect the building.

Chemical treatments are another way to stabilize clay. For shallower structures and pavements, lime and cement can be used and requires less excavation. However, the potential for chemical treatments is also dependent on the presence of sulfates. Sulfates in the soil will react negatively to lime or concrete and worsen the subgrade support. The geotechnical survey will not only help determine whether clay swelling is a problem, but also what treatment is feasible to limit risk and costs.

Presence and Impacts of Groundwater

In addition to soil conditions, a geotechnical survey will identify the potentially detrimental threat of groundwater. Understanding where groundwater is present in the site strata is important, particularly for those structures that have a basement or subsurface utilities. A geotechnical survey can determine groundwater depth at various locations within a construction site. Groundwater can complicate excavations, increase the lateral pressures applied to structures and foundations causing deterioration, and can destroy underground utilities. Proper identification presents the opportunity to develop a subsurface drainage system, or other mitigation alternatives, to keep below-grade utilities, structures, or retaining walls safe. Without a geotechnical survey, the threat posed by groundwater may go unnoticed or be underestimated until it is too late.

How WSB Can Help

At WSB, our Geotechnical team has decades of experience working on projects across the U.S. WSB is prepared to adapt to the needs of local municipalities and to local geology no matter where in the country a project may be. With a highly trained team of experts, clients can expect prepared solutions that mitigate risk and ensure a project’s success.

Four Wins That Thoughtful Public Engagement Could Bring to Transportation Projects

June 13, 2024

By Chhavi Dhingra, Senior Manager of Public Engagement, WSB

Transport services play a vital role in meeting essential needs, such as facilitating economic activities such as trade and employment, and ensuring access to vital services like education, healthcare, and leisure. At the heart of all planning and design of such infrastructure lies the vital importance of prioritizing the consumer. Here engineers can play a crucial role in connecting transportation systems with the communities they serve.

There are four wins that early, thoughtful, intentional, and inclusive public engagement could bring to transportation projects.

1. Transparency fosters trust and progress: Helping people understand on a regular basis how and where taxpayers’ money is being spent, goes a long way in building trust and accountability and limits potential future issues that may interrupt the project’s completion.
2. Leaning in on local knowledge and user experience enriches project performance and impact: Improving project performance by gleaning local knowledge residing with community members and learning from past and present experiences of users of a transportation system can help identify and address problems early on and contribute to ensuring long-term success of projects.
3. Inclusion of multiple voices and perspectives enriches project outcomes and acceptability: Possibly one of the biggest wins that public engagement could bring is ensuring transportation projects deliver on their original promises of improved safety, accessibility, mobility, and well-being for all users and become means for communities to together become more prosperous and healthier. This requires a diverse mix of voices, perspectives, and expertise to be brought together to ensure that transportation projects (be it a new road, an improvement to an existing road/junction or the introduction of a new transit or carsharing facility), are accessible to everyone living/traveling to that area.
4. Well-designed engagement could capacitate and empower community leaders and representatives: Proving opportunities for training and skill development for community leaders as part of public engagement strategies, enables them to become catalysts for garnering wide support, removing bottlenecks, ensuring more efficient execution, and developing trusted partnerships between government and communities in projects.

How WSB Can Help

At WSB, we help bring these four wins (and more) when collaborating with clients on various transportation projects. We prioritize successful public engagement through a comprehensive approach. This includes establishing a clear project chain of command to ensure effective stakeholder coordination and information flow. We begin by conducting early stakeholder mapping and needs assessments and collaboratively setting goals with all project stakeholders. We then tailor our communication methods to best suit the audience, ensuring the use of plain language materials, inclusive formats adhering to Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards, using multiple languages where necessary. Fact-checking, active listening, continuous feedback loops and proper documentation for transparency, are key to our process. We also proactively monitor potential risks to address them swiftly and maintain trust with the public. As we collaborate with our valued clients and partners to successfully deliver transportation projects, our public engagement approach continues to evolve to inform and shape us as professionals, and WSB as an organization that exists to build what is next in infrastructure—the places, spaces and systems that support our lives.

The Evolution of Public Engagement in Transportation Projects

June 13, 2024

By Chhavi Dhingra, Senior Public Engagement Manager, WSB

Transportation infrastructure and services serve as a means to various ends, such as facilitating trade, accessing jobs, education, healthcare, or social opportunities. It is essential to place people and goods at the core of all transportation planning and design efforts. As transportation engineers navigate the complexities of planning and designing, balancing considerations like traffic flow, safety, environmental concerns, accessibility, equity and integration of new technologies, they must bridge the gap between designs, materials like concrete and steel, and the people these projects aim to serve. Timely information sharing, inclusive engagement to gather diverse perspectives, and empowering community voices can ensure that transportation projects meet their intended goals and benefit everyone.

In today’s era, cities drive growth and progress, yet there is still much work needed to ensure equitable access to this growth. Underserved communities often face challenges of transportation insecurity like affordability, unreliable commutes, lack of access to transportation options to get where they need to, network connectivity, and issues of transportation-related safety and air and noise pollution. This inequity can lead to negative health impacts, exclusion from education, job, healthcare, commercial and social activities, economic inefficiencies, and urban degradation. In such situations, lack of involvement in transportation planning can further hinder these communities’ quality of life.

Fortunately, public engagement in transportation projects has been evolving and is no longer just a box to check on a project. Latest trends in global research and practice in infrastructure projects place high priority on civic engagement and social accountability, especially when responding to crises like climate change or the Covid-19 pandemic, where behavior change at community levels could result in a massive impact. Moreover, legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which are allocating billions of dollars into transportation programs, systems, and infrastructure projects across the country, recognize this as well, and present a huge opportunity for equitable transportation policies and programs to be rolled out by state and local governments. Be it improving transit facilities and experience, re-imagining mobility modes and choices in downtown urban districts or developing infrastructure for vehicle electrification, Governments and communities are now recognizing the need for this pivot, and public engagement best practices demonstrating innovation and public participation are following suit.

Transportation projects are now required to factor in the inclusion of human and environmental factors as part of feasibility assessments. For example, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, requires that federal agencies assess the potential environmental effects of proposed activities in a publicly available report and that the assessment process includes opportunities for public engagement. Given NEPA’s inherently layered institutional design, the level of agency level discretion and the fact that Environmental justice (EJ) itself is an evolving concept, there is a promising opportunity for agencies to enable public engagement to spread its wings fully to bring in a stronger equity focus on transportation projects.

How WSB Can Help

At WSB, we bring diverse professional skills, including those in transportation engineering, planning, public policy, construction management, business administration, and marketing and communications, to bridge the gap between technical designs and the community. We are open-minded learners, constantly evolving our strategies and tactics in consultation with our clients and partners. By allowing public engagement to shape both individual growth and organizational direction, we ensure projects support the needs of the people they serve.

SUE: What Your City Needs To Avert Disaster

June 17, 2024
By Tony Terrell, Director of Utilities Management, WSB

If your city has an upcoming construction project, using subsurface utility engineering (SUE) can provide numerous benefits, while helping avoid potential catastrophe. In any community, but especially in heavily developed cities, not knowing the exact location of subsurface utilities puts projects at risk and could mean unnecessary delays, unexpected costs, and even harm to communities by temporarily depriving it of water, electricity or gas.

With that in mind, let’s review what SUE is and why your city should think twice about forgoing it.

What Is SUE?

SUE is a service that uses pipe & cable locators, electromagnetic hand-held utility locators, ground penetrating radar, and vacuum excavation to locate and identify utility lines buried beneath the ground. The vacuum excavation process is unique and entails the use of a high-pressure sprayer and a 100-to-200-gallon tank that turns the soil into mud. That mud is then vacuumed out to receive a physical line of sight on utilities buried as much as ten feet below the ground surface. Through vacuum excavation, the exact horizontal and vertical coordinate and the depth of a utility can be measured. The ground penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. The GPR can identify different material types underground and is used to locate utilities that are difficult to find, and where the electromagnetic locators had issues. What’s more, SUE uses a quality ranking system that helps construction projects have the right data and a clear understanding of how to avoid colliding with utility lines.

Utility Quality Levels

Using SUE equipment as described above, a utility quality level can then be applied which denotes how precise the location data is. These quality levels fall into four levels of A, B, C and D. Through this quality level scale, design teams and construction teams are better equipped to ensure utilities are not impacted by any excavation work.

The Risk of Forgoing SUE

Forgoing the use of SUE creates the risk of damaging or destroying utility lines. This disruption would not only delay the ongoing project but would also create substantial cost of repairing the utility line and potentially cutting off services to the surrounding community. This is especially critical when working in heavily developed cities with large, condensed populations, and where damaging a utility has the potential of cutting off electrical, water or gas utilities to a large population. Additionally, studies have shown that forgoing SUE services can lead to problems and potential utility damage that will incur costs beyond the initial cost of performing SUE services for a project. On average there is a nearly 5 to 1 cost difference between risking utilities and using SUE to prevent these issues from occurring.

Why is SUE important

• Provides valuable information from which to make valuable decisions for roadway/bridge projects.
• Unnecessary utility relocations are avoided
• Eliminate unexpected utility conflicts typically encountered on transportation projects
• Improved safety
• Reduce project delays, saving time and money
• SUE is a viable technological practice that reduces project costs

How WSB Can Help?

To avert potentially damaging or destroying a utility during construction, cities should reach out to the experienced and talented team at WSB to discuss how SUE will keep costs low and protect not only your project, but the surrounding community. By staying at the forefront of technology and techniques, WSB provides the information and peace of mind cities need to complete their project safely.

Recap of the 2024 Minnesota Legislative Session

June 14, 2024
By Jacob Ringstad, Graduate Engineer, WSB

The end of the 2024 Minnesota legislative session in St. Paul brought opportunities for communities across Minnesota. With changes to regulations and new grant investment opportunities, now is the time for communities to dive into better understanding of what happened this session and what changes and opportunities resulted from this year’s session. I was able to discuss with Anne Finn, Director of the League of Minnesota Cities’ Intergovernmental Relations, about the impact on cities for this session.

Budgets and Bonding

This year, lawmakers did not pass a capital investment bill. Many communities see a lack of a bonding bill as detrimental to asset preservation and local infrastructure. This failed bonding bill contained building asset preservation, money to remove lead and PFAs from local water systems, and $40 million dedicated to local communities. Additionally, the bonding bill failing to pass this year likely means there will be a large appetite for a bill in the 2025 legislative session. Communities with future construction projects and bonding needs must stay up-to-date and plan for what is to come in 2025. Anne encourages these cities to continue meeting with their representatives about the importance of these funds in your communities.

Efforts to Improve our Transportation

The 2024 session saw an additional $11.35 million investment in the Small Cities Assistance Program. These funds will be evenly distributed to cities with populations under 5,000 starting July 1st. These funds can be used to improve city assets and even include an option to use the money to pay debt service on bonds. One new policy opportunity Anne mentioned was state guidelines were enacted for establishing pedestrian malls. This new law will help to guide communities looking to expand pedestrian transportation and safety in high density areas.

A Focus on Environment

The 2024 legislative session saw massive investment from the Environment and Natural Resources Budget and Policy bill. An additional $46 million will be invested into programs dedicated to protecting Minnesota’s water, air, soil and wildlife. Anne specifically mentioned, “New grant programs created for community tree planting with $8 million for statewide use and another $3 million dedicated to the seven-county metro area.” To maximize use of this new funding, construction projects that can highlight sustainability should keep a close watch on these new investments and be ready as soon as the grants become available.

Expanding Housing Infrastructure Grant Program

Alongside new funding, counties are now able to take advantage of opportunities previously limited to cities. Under the 2024 legislative session, the Greater Minnesota Housing Infrastructure Grant Program was expanded to include county-managed construction projects, creating new opportunities, such as the development of housing, streets, water supply systems, sewers, utilities and more.

How WSB Can Help?

The 2024 session included several new state investments and policy changes that impact communities. With WSB, communities can feel secure with a talented team of experts who will help walk you through finding funding, applying for grants and ensuring every opportunity is on the table for your projects.