Elk Run Wins ACEC Award

TKDA and MnDOT were presented with a 2015 Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Elk Run Interchange project at the recent American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC/MN) banquet in Minneapolis.

TKDA was MnDOT’s lead design engineer on the project, which was completed in November 2013. TKDA designed one of Minnesota’s first Diverging Diamond Interchanges (DDI) as the centerpiece of the Elk Run Interchange along Trunk Highway 52 just outside of Rochester. This innovative design alternative accommodates higher traffic volumes than a traditional diamond interchange while offering increased safety, traffic calming, simple two-phase signal operation and easy access for pedestrians and bicyclists. The new Elk Run Interchange minimizes conflicts and modifies traditional traffic flows to improve turning efficiencies. The DDI design also eliminates the need for large interchange loops, which resulted in a shorter bridge length and smaller environmental footprint. The interchange and the connecting county roadway improvements are the latest phase of MnDOT’s efforts to upgrade TH 52 to a fully access-controlled freeway between Rochester and the Twin Cities.