The Hwy 53 Rock Ridge Transportation Improvements project in Eveleth received a regional 2026 America’s Transportation Award for Safety in the Medium Project category. The award is part of the Mid-America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) regional competition. Led by MnDOT in partnership with St. Louis County, the project addressed transportation and safety needs near the new Rock Ridge school campus.
Sambatek led the MnDOT District 1 GEC safety study that helped identify improvements at three intersections: Hat Trick Avenue, Progress Parkway, and Bourgin Road. With an accelerated schedule to determine preferred alternatives, the Sambatek team completed traffic and crash analysis, developed and evaluated concepts, and led public, stakeholder, and agency engagement. The study considered several alternatives, including a non-signalized Green-T intersection at Bourgin Road and a modified Reduced Conflict Intersection at Hat Trick Avenue.
“This project required us to move quickly even as the schools were being built, while still giving the agencies, school district, businesses, and community opportunities to be part of the process. The collaboration between everyone involved helped us identify solutions that addressed the safety needs of the corridor, as well as to and from the new schools.” – Ben Lodin, Sambatek Project Manager
Sambatek also developed a 3D visualization to help stakeholders understand how the proposed improvements would operate, and supported funding applications and initiatives for the project, successfully resulting in Corridors of Commerce funding.
Sambatek then advanced through preliminary engineering, resulting in 3 Level 1 geometric layouts, and through the final design process, consolidating the scope to include an unbonded concrete overlay of US 53 and replacement of two bridges over Hwy 37.
The completed Rock Ridge Transportation Improvements include intersection safety improvements, pedestrian and bicycle connections, pavement improvements, and other upgrades along Highway 53. Congratulations to MnDOT, St. Louis County, Rock Ridge Public Schools, and the project partners involved in delivering the improvements.
Contractors: Ulland Brothers, Inc.
Consultants: Sambatek, CBS Squared, Ideate Consulting, Braun, SRF, WSB
Learn more about the Hwy 53 Rock Ridge Transportation Improvements project on MnDOT’s website.
https://americastransportationawards.org/2026/08/10/minnesota-department-of-transportations-rock-ridge-transportation-improvements/
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDOT/bulletins/424a1a3