MnDOT Pays UMD Students to Study Potholes

DULUTH - Drivers hate them, and maintenance crews sweat over them. Now, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is turning to UMD students to find a better fix for potholes."We're working very hard and there's more than we can possibly keep up with," said MnDOT’s assistant district engineer, Pat Huston. City and state crews are always testing new ways to patch up the pothole problem. It becomes a real science when dealing with the Northland's up-and-down weather, but now the brains of students at UMD are being put into the mix.UMD has the resources and time to do serious experiments with the hope of stronger pothole-filling results. MnDOT has hired a group of civil engineering students to find the most durable and cost effective repair for potholes in Minnesota."It's really kind of put a real world twist on engineering school,” Huston said. “They can apply what they're learning to something that will hopefully help us determine best practices for patching." The select students don't only get to put a complex project like this on their resumes, but they're getting $20,000 a year, and MnDOT is even paying their tuition."I think it'll be great,” expressed UMD undergraduate student, Chelsea Hoplin. “I think I'll get a lot more looks from different companies. It’ll definitely make me stand out." MnDOT sees the project is a win-win because they can keep the research close to home, and they have a fair share of potholes with Duluth’s pavement condition. Also, they don't have to fork out the big bucks to pay the professionals to do research, and the students will get real world experience by coming up with a better solution to fix the roads. The students are just finishing up their research with concrete, and will give their findings to MnDOT. Next week, they'll be heading out to grand avenue and start their research on asphalt potholes.