Minnesota Highways, January 1957

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VOL.  6,  NO.  3
1246  University Ave.,  St.  Paul 4, Minn.
JANUARY,   1957
Safety Head, Assistant
Patrol Chief Named
Laws Sought on Safety,
New Interstate Routes
Harry A. Sieben of Hastings,
Minnesota state liquor control
commissioner for the past two
years, is the new state director
of highway safety. His appointment was announced
January 4 by Commissioner
Hoffmann.
The commissioner at the
same time announced the
promotion of Captain Leo M.
Smith of Rochester, to assistant   chief  of  the   Minnesota
ighway patrol.
•
The appointment of Sieben, who
was to assume his new duties later
this month, fills the vacancy which
has existed since the resignation of
Earl M. Larimer October 15, 1956.
Sieben rated highest in the civil
service examination conducted for
the appointment.
Prior to his appointment by Governor Freeman as liquor control
chief, Sieben held a number of
business and governmental positions in the Twin Cities area, including that of state director of the
federal Office of Price Stabilization
from 1951 to 1953.
In his liquor control post, Sieben
has gained a wide acquaintanceship with local peace officers and
county sheriffs throughout the state,
a factor which will be of value in
his state-wide promotion of highway safety through education and
traffic law enforcement.
Captain Smith, a 14-year veteran
in the Highway patrol, has been
stationed at Rochester since Sep-
^mber, 1954, when he was pro-
loted from sergeant to captain.
Previous to his appointment as a
patrol officer in 1942, he was with
(Continued on page 5)
F. W. Thorstenson Is Chosen
As New Hydraulics Engineer
The Highway department has a new hydraulics engineer,
Frederick W. Thorstenson of St. Paul, former assistant regional (hydraulic) engineer of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife
service and a former employee of the department.
Thorstenson, who assumed his new position December
17, succeeds Marvin E. Hermanson who in September was
named assistant engineer of surveys and design,
After his graduation from the
Universitv of Minnesota as a civil
engineer in 1937, Thorstenson
worked for the Highway department for 18 months as a draftsman. He held various positions until 1946 when he became assistant regional engineer for the Fish
and Wildlife service.
In that capacity, he was in
charge of technical engineering
services for fish stations, refuges
and federal aid programs in 11
states. This and previous employment has given him extensive experience and responsibility in hydraulic engineering. Thorstenson is
a registered professional engineer
in   Minnesota   and   president   this
(Continued on page 4) Fred Thorstenson
Steps to increase highway
safety and to take full advantage of the recently enlarged program of federal aid
for highways are major proposals of the Minnesota Highway department's recommendations to the 1957 State Legislature, which opened its session January 8.
Other leading requests are for
higher salaries for "all grades and
classes" of department employees
on a basis competitive with private industry and local governments, and to increase the size and
training facilities of the state Highway patrol.
Enabling legislation is recommended to supplement provisions
of Constitutional Amendment No.
2, and to implement the expanded
interstate highway program, particularly as to the establishment of
new interstate routes and necessary connections to existing trunk
highways and for the control of
access on the interstate system and
on other important highways.
After two years' use of a system
of "absolute" speed limits for designated sections of the rural trunk
highways, as authorized by the
1955 Legislature, Commissioner
Hoffmann has recommended to the
1957 Legislature that it review and
amend the statutes relating to speed
regulation to "remove the existing
confusion." Posting of different
sections of the highways for "absolute" and prima facie speed limits
"is highly confusing to most drivers and of little benefit in improving driver performance," he said.
Minimum Limit Sought
He also asked authority to zone
for minimum speed limits on the
basis that minimum speed regulations  have proved beneficial  on
(Continued on page 6)