Submitted photo Blue Earth County received the 2019 Project of the Year Award from the Minnesota County Engineers Association (MCEA) for its County State Aid Highway (CSAH 1) reconstruction project.

MANKATO — Blue Earth County received the 2019 Project of the Year Award from the Minnesota County Engineers Association (MCEA) for its County State Aid Highway (CSAH 1) reconstruction project.

Ryan Thilges, Blue Earth County Engineer, his staff and project partners were recognized at the MCEA annual award banquet on January 23.

The two-year, $10 million project was built by Mathiowetz Construction Co. of Sleepy Eye.

This segment of CSAH 1 is part of a larger Trunk Highway turnback of Old Hwy 66. The segment which runs from CSAH 90 to Mankato is designated as a Type III Natural Preservation Route. As a result, design and construction of the project required consideration to the preservation of the scenic and natural beauty of the roadway and its surroundings.

The project was particularly challenging due to the steep side slopes along the roadway. The design utilized 3D modeling to mold the roadway into the steep landscape and eliminate some of the sharper curves. Specially designed vegetated reinforced soil slopes were utilized to accommodate the steep banks with slopes ranging from 45 to 70 degrees. The completion of this project provides a new safe roadway meeting or exceeding State standards.