MnDOT District 1 Engineer Duane Hill to retire after 35 years; Andy Johnson named new district engineer
DULUTH, Minn. – Duane Hill, District Engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s District 1 office in Duluth, will retire in August after 35 years of service.
Hill has served as district engineer for District 1 since 2012. District 1 includes 8 counties in northeastern Minnesota with offices in Duluth and Viriginia and represents one-fourth of the state’s total land area.
Under Hill’s leadership, the district has constructed major projects including the Highway 53 Rukavina Bridge in Virginia; the Twin Ports Interchange in Duluth; and Blatnik Bridge replacement environmental permitting, financing and contract procurement in addition to safety enhancement projects such as roundabouts and J-turns. Hill also played a key role in the Northeast Toward Zero Deaths program, which focuses on reducing serious and fatal crashes on Minnesota roads.
Hill began his MnDOT career in 1991 as a graduate engineer in Duluth before his first permanent role as assistant design engineer. From 1996 to 2005, he worked for District 2 in Bemidji before returning to Duluth to work as the Assistant District Engineer for Operations. He has also served as the Statewide Bridge Inspection Coordinator and Acting State Bridge Engineer.
Hill earned his civil engineering degree from North Dakota State University. He and his wife, Kathleen, have 2 children and reside north of Duluth.
Johnson selected as District Engineer for MnDOT District 1
MnDOT has selected Andy Johnson as the next district engineer for District 1. He began the role on July 15.
Johnson will oversee program development and delivery, construction, maintenance and operations across the district and will provide strategic direction for the department. He looks forward to strengthening relationships with local governments and elected officials to improve transportation throughout the region and is committed to advancing MnDOT’s mission to help people travel safely and reliably.
Johnson brings 28 years of engineering experience to the role. He graduated from North Dakota State University in 1998, and after a few years consulting, joined MnDOT in 2003. He first worked at Central Office in St. Paul and the Metro District before landing in District 1, where he’s spent the last 19 years working in program delivery and operations.
Johnson and his wife live in Makinen with their two dogs. He and his wife have three grown children and a granddaughter.
For more information on MnDOT District 1 visit mndot.gov/d1.
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