Project selection

MnDOT’s selection of state highway construction projects follows the policy direction established in the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan and the investment guidance in the 20-Year State Highway Investment Plan, known as MnSHIP.

MnDOT prioritizes investments to keep the state highway system in good repair. MnSHIP distributes funding to address a range of goals and objectives. MnSHIP determines the amount of money available for different types of improvements such as safety, mobility, repair and replacement of existing roads and bridges, and other goals. The MnSHIP investment direction is based on public and stakeholder input and dedicates the majority of funding to fixing pavement and bridges.

As required by the new project selection policy, MnDOT uses scores to prioritize and select highway construction projects. The scores inform project selection decisions, but MnDOT may consider other factors in addition to the score. MnDOT will provide a short explanation when a high scoring project is not selected or when a lower scoring project is selected.

MnDOT selects projects within various categories and programs. Each category and program has a separate process to evaluate, prioritize and select projects.

The majority of MnDOT projects are selected within categories of project based on the guidance of MnSHIP. Broadly, these categories include:

• Asset management: the rehabilitation and replacement of pavement, bridges and other infrastructure
• Targeted safety improvements: improvements to reduce the number of crashes and people injured or killed on Minnesota state highways
• Mobility and capacity expansion: improvements to traffic flow, congestion relief and travel time reliability, the movement of freight or creating new connections for active transportation users such as  people walking and bicycling

Each of those broad categories has sub-categories within which projects are evaluated and selected. For example, pavement projects are scored and prioritized separately from bridge projects.

MnDOT manages a variety of special programs with specific objectives. The programs either are established in state or federal statutes, have a limited specialized purpose or use a competitive application process to select projects. Cities, counties and other groups may apply for funding or suggest specific projects for most of these programs. Examples include:           

• Corridors of Commerce Program: funds additional highway capacity where there are currently bottlenecks, or projects that improve the movement of freight and reduce barriers to commerce.
• Highway Freight Program: funds projects with measurable benefits for freight transportation.
• Highway Safety Improvement Program: funds projects that reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.
• Transportation Economic Development Program: funds projects that support job creation and retention as well as other improvements with measurable economic benefits.

Once a project is selected, MnDOT identifies and evaluates alternatives to address the identified need as well as other legal requirements, opportunities to advance legislative goals, objectives in state plans, and other repairs and improvements that make sense to do at the same time. The department follows a complete streets approach, which considers the needs of all the different types of vehicles and people who will use the road or bridge. MnDOT balances all of the identified needs and opportunities against the funding guidance of MnSHIP and looks for cost-effective and affordable solutions. MnDOT also works with local and regional partners, metropolitan planning organizations, tribal governments and regulatory agencies, and seeks public input during the development of the project.

The selection of a project is one decision point in a long series of decisions that shape what gets constructed. Project development refers to the process of taking a project from an identification of a need through construction. The level of project development that has occurred at the time a project is selected varies by project selection process. While MnDOT selects projects as much as ten years in advance of construction, most project development activities do not start until five to six years before construction.

The project selection policy focuses on the project selection decision, not the full range of decisions that are part of the project development process.

MnDOT’s selection of state highway construction projects follows the policy direction established in the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan and the investment guidance in the 20-Year State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP).

The Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan establishes overarching objectives, strategies and performance measures for the state highway system as well as the rest of the transportation system in Minnesota. For urbanized areas with populations greater than 50,000, the long range plans of Metropolitan Planning Organizations establish objectives, strategies, performance measures and investment priorities for the transportation system, including the state highway system.

MnSHIP establishes an overall distribution of expected revenue to meet the objectives, strategies and performance measures in the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan on the state highway system. The plan also includes expected outcomes and performance targets the agency uses to inform project selection. MnSHIP dedicates the majority of funding to fixing pavement and bridges, but also allocates funding to other categories such as safety, congestion relief, other roadside infrastructure, and improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists and freight.

The strategies and objectives in the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan and metropolitan plans and the investment direction in MnSHIP shape the projects that are ultimately delivered, and the process MnDOT uses to develop and deliver those projects.

Based on the investment guidance in MnSHIP and federal and state laws, MnDOT divides available and planned funding into programs and categories within which projects are selected. For projects selected within each of the agency’s eight districts, MnDOT distributes anticipated funding using formulas, which consider the condition of pavement and bridges, size of the network, and use of the system within each district.

The public and stakeholders can influence MnDOT construction projects through participation in the planning, programming and project development processes.

MnDOT conducts public and stakeholder involvement when developing the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan, MnSHIP and other plans, which set the framework for project selection and how projects are developed. Participation in other MnDOT, metropolitan, regional and local plans and studies also shape individual projects and project prioritization.

MnDOT engages partners, stakeholders and the public in the project development process. Involvement at this stage influences the details of what is included and not included in a project, as well as the timing, delivery mechanism, and traffic mitigation of a project among other details.

While involvement in the planning process and project development offer the greatest opportunity to influence the projects MnDOT delivers, the public and stakeholders can also review and comment on MnDOT’s draft project selection decisions. As part of the project selection process, MnDOT districts work with a broad range of stakeholders through Area Transportation Partnerships. These partnerships provide a collaborative decision-making process for the selection of projects that are recommended to receive federal funds. In addition, ATPs provide a local perspective on potential state-funded projects. Prior to finalizing the State Transportation Improvement Program, MnDOT posts a draft for public review and comment. Beginning with the 2020-2023 STIP, MnDOT will also post the scores for projects considered but not selected and the reasoning behind selection decisions with the drafts.

In urban areas with populations of 50,000 or more, project selection happens as part of a cooperative, continuous and comprehensive planning process between MnDOT and a Metropolitan Planning Organization. All federally funded and regionally significant MnDOT highway construction projects within MPO planning boundaries must be included or consistent with the metropolitan long-range transportation plan and included in the region’s four year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Each MPO in the state posts their draft TIP for public review and comment.

MnDOT developed the 10-Year Capital Highway Investment Plan to improve early project stakeholder coordination. Beginning with the 2020-2029 CHIP, the CHIP will include the scores for projects. MnDOT will also post the scores for projects considered but not selected and the reasoning behind selection decisions. The public and stakeholders can review and submit comments on the CHIP at any time.

A few competitive programs, such as the Corridors of Commerce Program, allow the public and stakeholders to submit project ideas as well as express support for specific candidate projects.

Consistent with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Presidential Executive Order 12898, MnDOT works to ensure the full and fair participation of potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process. MnDOT specifically reaches out to low-income and minority populations when developing plans and during the project development process. For projects impacting interests of Native Nations, MnDOT directly consults with the affected Tribal Nation(s).

MnDOT also analyzes the potential impact of the department’s plans and projects both at the system level and for each individual project.

During the project selection process, MnDOT must consider two fundamental principles of environmental justice:

• To avoid, minimize or mitigate disproportionately high adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority and low-income populations.
• To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.

For most of MnDOT’s project selection processes, the positive or adverse impacts of candidate projects on environmental justice populations are not well known at the time projects are selected. Determining the potential adverse impacts and/or benefits of a project requires significant analysis, which is completed during the project development process. When information is known about a candidate project’s impact and benefits, MnDOT incorporates those considerations as well as the geographic distribution of high scoring candidate projects as qualitative factors in the decision to select or not select a project.

For processes that select projects where MnDOT is more confident these types of projects would benefit adjacent environmental justice populations, MnDOT includes environmental justice in the score of candidate projects. These include the selection of urban non-freeway/non-expressway pavement projects, the rehabilitation and replacement of existing non-motorized infrastructure and pedestrian bridges and underpasses, targeted safety improvements, and standalone improvements for non-motorized transportation users. The Transportation Economic Development Program also includes a consideration of whether environmental justice populations will benefit from the jobs created as a result of a candidate project.

Beyond the requirements of Title VI and the executive order, MnDOT is currently studying equity and engaging communities in conversation about how transportation affects equity. The initiative will further define equity and may identify additional opportunities to include equity and environmental justice in project selection and scoring.

MnDOT selects projects within categories based on types of projects and within specialty and competitive programs. Each category and program has a separate process to evaluate, prioritize and select projects.

The majority of MnDOT projects are selected within categories of project based on the guidance of the 20-year Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan. Broadly, these categories include:

• Asset management: the rehabilitation and replacement of pavement, bridges and other infrastructure
• Targeted safety improvements: improvements to reduce the number of crashes and people injured or killed on Minnesota state highways
• Mobility and capacity expansion: improvements to traffic flow, congestion relief and travel time reliability, the movement of freight or that create new connections for active transportation users

Each of those broad categories has sub-categories within which projects are evaluated and selected. For example, pavement projects are scored within three separate categories based on network designation, functional classification and context.

MnDOT manages a variety of special programs with specific objectives. The programs either are established in state or federal statutes, have a limited specialized purpose and/or use a competitive application process to select projects. Cities, counties and other groups may apply for funding or suggest specific project ideas for most of these programs.

The current list of competitive programs includes:                                  

• Corridors of Commerce Program: funds additional highway capacity on segments where there are currently bottlenecks in the system or projects that improve the movement of freight and reduce barriers to commerce.
• Highway Freight Program: funds projects with measurable benefits for freight transportation.
• Highway Safety Improvement Program: funds projects that reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.
• Local Partnership Program (Formerly District Cooperative/Municipal Agreement Programs): funds locally initiated improvements to state highways, particularly locations where the local transportation network intersects with the state system and an improvement would benefit both systems.
• Railway-Highway Crossing Program: funds the elimination of hazards at railway-highway crossings, including the closure and consolidation of crossings, replacement of antiquated equipment, and new grade crossing controls.
• Stand Alone Noise Barriers Program: fund construction of new noise barriers along state highways in locations where no noise abatement measures currently exist and no major construction projects are currently programmed.
• Transportation Economic Development Program: funds projects that support job creation and retention as well as other improvements with measurable economic benefits.

Other current specialty programs include:

• Historic Roadside Properties Program: funds the repair, rehabilitation and preservation of roadside properties that are either listed on, or eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places. 
• Intelligent Transportation Systems Program: funds the installation of new or upgrade of existing electronics, communications, or information processing systems or services to improve the efficiency and safety of the state highway system.
• Safety Rest Area Program: funds construction, repair and rehabilitation of rest areas and waysides.
• Weigh Stations Capital Improvement Program: funds the installation, repair and replacement of the physical infrastructure necessary for the enforcement of state and federal weight and size commercial motor carrier laws.

Based on the requirements of the Project Selection Policy, MnDOT uses data-driven processes to prioritize candidate projects based on numeric scores.

The score assigned to candidate projects is a key factor in the project selection decision, but MnDOT considers a wide range of factors both for individual projects and as the manager of an entire highway system. Not all of those factors and considerations are included in the numeric score assigned to projects. When a high scoring project is not selected or when a lower scoring project is selected, MnDOT will provide a short explanation for the reasoning behind the decision in addition to the project score.

Interpreting scores

Each category of project and every specialty and competitive program has a method to assign a numeric score. The score represents a relative priority within that category of project or program. Scores cannot be compared across categories or programs.

Projects selected in multiple categories

In the STIP and CHIP, MnDOT will show one score for each project selected under this policy. Projects sometimes are originally selected in one category, but then grow or change and are selected in another category. For example, a pavement project might be modified to include a new MnPASS lane.

When a project is listed as a candidate in multiple categories or programs, the score listed will follow a general order:

1. Competitive program funded projects (e.g. Corridors of Commerce, Transportation Economic Development)
2. Major capacity expansion / mobility projects
3. Pavement and bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects
4. Specialty program funded projects
5. Standalone roadside infrastructure, safety, operational improvements, or active transportation projects

Rescoring

Projects can change and evolve through the project development process as MnDOT gets more detailed information, works with local partners and regulatory agencies, and seeks public and stakeholder input. Significant time and resources (both MnDOT’s and that of local and regional agencies, the public and others) go into developing projects.

The majority of project level changes and decisions will not affect the score assigned to the project when it was selected. Projects may also move years within the CHIP or STIP without triggering a review of the score. Projects will require a new score if the project area no longer includes the area identified when the project was selected or the nature of the project changes to meet another category of project (i.e. a pavement rehabilitation project now includes a new interchange).

For accuracy, MnDOT will review and update the score to reflect current data at least every five years for projects originally selected in years 5 through 10 of the CHIP that have not yet been included in the STIP.

Non-MnDOT selection of state highway construction projects

Construction projects initiated by cities, counties or other road authorities on the state highway system that receive competitive funding through the Metropolitan Council’s Regional Solicitation, federal competitive programs like INFRA or BUILD, or another competitive funding program do not need be to be scored to receive MnDOT match funds. They are considered selected through that competitive process.

Based on the Project Selection Policy, MnDOT does not use scores to prioritize and select certain types of activities and projects on state highways, including:

• Chip seals, patching and crack sealing of pavements
• Epoxy chip seal wearing courses and crack sealing on bridges
• Painting of bridge steel superstructures
• Bridge expansion joint replacement
• Scour countermeasures
• Culvert lining
• Tunnel repairs
• Sign, signal, lighting, sensor and guardrail replacement
• Striping
• Legal liabilities requiring capital investment
• Emergency repairs
• Seasonal response (example: fixing winter damage)
• Slope stabilization
• Landscaping and revegetation following major construction projects
• Installation or replacement of fiber optic cables or other transmission lines in state owned right of way
• Installation of solar panels or other energy infrastructure in state owned right of way
• Temporary or research demonstration installations

MnDOT’s project selection policy does not cover prioritization and selection of:

• Non-capital construction projects
• Capital projects on locally owned streets and roads, transit systems, airports, river and lake ports, freight rail lines, and trails and shared use paths outside of MnDOT owned right of way

MnDOT scores and selects stretches of pavement and specific bridges that need work typically five to ten years before construction. For other types of projects, such as targeted safety and mobility improvements or major capacity expansions of the system, MnDOT usually selects projects three to six years before construction. For the specialty and competitive programs, MnDOT typically scores and selects projects two to five years before construction. Finally, MnDOT holds a small amount of funding to fund preventive maintenance, fix damage caused by each winter season or make emergency repairs. The department typically selects these projects the same year they are constructed.

MnDOT will annually review and revise the criteria and methodology for each project selection process to incorporate new research and guidance, changes in state or federal law, updates to state plans or policies, stakeholder feedback, and lessons learned from implementing the new project selection policy.

• Guide to MnDOT Project Selection (PDF)