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The Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota (CPAM) this week announced its awards for outstanding paving work completed in the previous year. The award banquet took place in St. Cloud as part of CPAM’s Annual Concrete Paving Workshop. Award nominations were solicited by CPAM in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. A panel reviewed and rated the submitted survey information (including construction photos, plan sheets, incentive/ disincentive worksheets and smoothness data) and selected a winner in each project category.

Near Blue Earth, the 21-mile section of Interstate 90 from two miles west of Highway 169 to Highway 22 south of Wells won recognition for the “MnDOT Overlays Award 2024.”

Prime contractor PCi Roads LLC joined Minnesota Department of Transportation District 7 and consulting engineers Alliant Engineering, Bolton & Menk, American Engineering Testing, and Braun Intertec. Paving began in the 2023 season and finished on Oct. 10, 2024.

The roadway project’s main goal was to improve longevity in the concrete pavement, as well as lighting updates, safety guardrail compliance and bridge repairs to extend structure life. The rest areas at Blue Earth, both eastbound and westbound, received facility updates to drainage, grading, increased ADA infrastructure and pavement upgrades.

The project also included rebuilding the “Golden Stripe” — the location where the east and west segments of I-90 were joined, completing I-90.

“This concrete pavement will serve drivers for decades to come. Congratulations to our award winners for their commitment to quality and innovation,” said Dan Labo, CPAM executive director.

Labo adds, “Concrete is the pavement of choice for these sustainable and economical long-life pavements; and concrete is more resilient to the environmental forces our highways are subjected to. This concrete overlay is a perfect example of MnDOT bucking the status quo, and this newly constructed stretch of I-90 is expected to last for decades with minimal maintenance and repair.”