The Minnesota Department of Transportation has won an Engineering Excellence Award for 2011 for the Hwy. 610 extension from Hwy. 169 to County Road 81 in Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove.

The announced the award given by the American Council of Engineering Companies on Monday.

The award in the Intelligent Compaction category was given for MnDOT's innovative application and analysis methods related to monitoring and documenting the stiffness of the soils for pavement support.

The three-mile extension included construction of two interchanges, three highway bridges, noise walls, a pedestrian bridge, roundabouts and bus only shoulders. The opening of the highway also helped divert traffic from city and local roads to the new segment of freeway, MnDOT said.