Minnesota Department Of Transportation Research Services PDF Download

In December 2003 the LRBB and Mn/DOT's Office of Materials allocated resources for a five-year project to identify, locate, describe, and track research test sections and other unique sites of interest on Minnesota (state and local) roadways. This became Investigation 809, Research Tracking for Local Roads. As the first step, Mn/DOT staff developed a database with a Web based user interface for entering and retrieving site data. The database was completed in 2004 and some individuals began to enter data into the database. With LRRB funds, a consultant was hired in November 2006 to facilitate and accelerate the collection, validation, and entry of data and also to make recommendations for database improvements. This report summarizes the efforts of that consultant. A number of recommendations are made in this report for improving the database and its user interface and for insuring that the database is robust. Each test section (site) in the database represents a significant investment of resources to design and construct something unique. Each site in the database may be of interest to other jurisdictions. Once constructed it could take years before the ultimate performance of a site can be determined. Meanwhile, champions change jobs and priorities change. This report raises a key question: How can we ensure a return on the investments made in site design and construction?