Trunk Highway 53 (Moosejaw)
Virginia, Minnesota
TH 53 was a schedule-driven, CM/GC project for the Minnesota DOT that relocated 3.2 miles of U.S. Highway 53 (Moosejaw Highway) in the Mesabi Iron Range of northern Minnesota.
ÄϹ¬NG28¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ had only two years to construct the roadway, which included the state’s tallest structural steel bridge â€� at 200 feet tall â€� over an inactive, water-filled, open-pit iron mine that provides drinking water to nearby communities and required stringent run-off control. ÄϹ¬NG28¹Ù·½ÍøÕ¾ excavated 1.5 million cubic yards of material, coordinated significant utility relocations and performed extensive community outreach. The project ties into the historic Mesabi Trail and features five miles of shared-use asphalt paths. Value engineering solutions during preconstruction resulted in $6.1M in cost savings, two months of overall schedule reduction and reduced impacts to project stakeholders.