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November 29, 1999
New weatherreportingstations toincreasetraveler safetyBy GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- Although recent temperatures reflect September averages for Minnesota, winter is officially less than three weeks away and state officials are prepared for the onset of winter and the travel conditions it brings. During the past few months, officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation have been installing remote weather stations along the state's vital links to help officials monitor conditions. The system consists of 92 reporting stations that will transmit data covering a radius of approximately 13 miles. It includes sensors placed in the highway subgrade, on the surface of the road and above the road in towers 33 feet high. The stations, known as a Road Weather Information System, or R/WIS for short, will collect and report weather data such as air temperature, precipitation, wind speed and wind direction. The sensors will also inform maintenance managers about road conditions and existing concentrations of chemicals, such as salt, to help them determine when the road surface will freeze. "Ten of the stations have video cameras installed that can relay visual information about weather and road conditions, such as fog, rain and snow," MnDoT Project Manager Ed Fleege said. "The cameras are not used for surveillance or any purpose other than weather, traffic volume or speed reports." The system will connect all the remote stations together and will supply information from airports and the University of Minnesota, St. Paul. It will eventually connect systems operated by the National Weather Service, airport weather stations and other facilities into an easy-to-use network, he said. "This system, once completed, will give travelers accurate, complete and timely weather and road condition reports," he said. The system can provide detailed information pertinent to travelers in the immediate area, because the stations report on relatively small areas, Fleege said. "The system will also provide statewide data and can, for example, track a storm and predict when it will hit a specified area," he said. "Data from the reporting stations will be available to the public at kiosks at several locations on major highway routes. The information can also be retrieved off the Internet and via telephone." This system will provide more efficient highway maintenance operations, saving MnDoT and taxpayers nearly $8 million over a 10 year period. The cost of the project is estimated at $4 million. "For example, sensors that determine the freezing point of chemicals on the road surface can tell managers whether or not they need to add more de-icers to prevent ice from forming," Fleege said. "Avoiding unneeded trips and reducing the amount of material can save money for taxpayers and MnDoT." Motorists in District 7, which includes New Ulm, can obtain road information during a winter storm by calling 1-800-804-3294 in Mankato or 1-800-804-3296 in Windom. Locations for the remote weather information system stations in District 7 are: * On Interstate 90, three miles east of the South Dakota line; one mile east of Rushmore; two miles east of the junction with Highway 169; and one mile west of Blue Earth. * On Highway 19, two miles west of the junction of Highway 15 and two miles west of New Prague. * On Highway 60 two miles north of the junction with Highway 15. * On Highway 71 two miles north of the junction with Highway 30. * On Highway 169 over the Blue Earth River; and three and one half miles north of St. Peter. * Two other stations in the nearby area, one in the Twin Cities metro area and one in District 8, are located on Highway 19 one mile south of the junction with Highway 71 at Redwood Falls and on Highway 169 two miles north of Highway 19.
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