What's New?
Upcoming & Past Events
TERRA Pavement Conference
Feb. 14th, 2013
MnROAD Construction Information
MnROAD has constructed several new test cells in 2011. The following link details the construction on the Mainline and the Low Volume Road.
Resources & Products
- MnPave
- PaveCool
- Pavement Interactive
- Seal Coat Design
- Seasonal Load Limits
- MnDOT Materials Office
- Construction Tools
- MnDOT Library
- Research Services
Partners
View MnROAD's partner's websites here.
Warm Mix Asphalt
Learn about research and implementation of Warm Mix Asphalt
Location and General Information
MnROAD Research
Improving the Way We Design, Construct, and Maintain Our Highways in Cold Weather Climates.
MnROAD is a pavement test track using various research materials and pavements owned and operated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. It finds ways to make roads last longer, perform better, cost less to build and maintain, be built faster and have minimal impact on the environment. Located near Albertville, Minnesota, the MnROAD test track was initially constructed between 1991-1993 and is the most sophisticated, independently operated pavement test facility of its type in the world. Currently MnROAD, works in conjunction with the MnDOT Materials Lab located in Maplewood, MN.
MnROAD consists of two unique road segments located next to Interstate 94:
- Thousands of sensors that record load response and environmental data.
- A 3.5-mile mainline interstate roadway carrying "live" traffic averaging 28,000 vehicles a day.
- A 2.5- mile closed- loop, low- volume roadway carrying a controlled 5-axle tractor-semi-trailer to simulated conditions of rural roads.
Phase I and Lessons Learned
From the start of construction on MnROAD in June 1990 to the conclusion of MnROAD’s first ten years of operation in 2004, engineers at MnROAD have researched pavements by collecting and analyzing data.
Phase II Underway
Phase II encompasses more than 20 research projects and reconstruction of over 30 test cells. Construction began in 2007 and continued in recent years.
More information about recent construction
From quiet pavements to pavement preservation, MnROAD will address many of the challenges facing the transportation network.
View Phase II overview brochure (PDF, 1.65MB, 6 pages)
TERRA, International Reach, and Benefits of Research
The Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance (TERRA) is a dynamic partnership of government, industry, and academia that continuously advances the innovations in road engineering and construction. TERRA helps to form MnROAD construction and research priorities to establish a cohesive and cost- sustainable research group.
MnROAD also works with international organizations and government research groups to provide research opportunities and dispersal of pavement knowledge. Researchers from all over the world have collaborated on pavement research projects and are using MnROAD data and research to improve roads in cold weather climates.
Request Data
All of the data generated at the MnROAD research facility is free and open to the public.