Congratulations to the recipients of Minnesota’s 2025 Build a Better Mousetrap awards! All Minnesota submissions were forwarded to the national mousetrap program in June. Awardees from across the country will be chosen by the National LTAP Association in four categories.
The City of Stacy’s Front-Mounted Ditch Mower submission was recognized with a Minnesota Pioneer Award, which is given for a locally relevant product or tool that is among the first to solve a maintenance problem with a homegrown solution.
Problem: Rear-mounted ditch mowers limit the operator’s ability to focus on obstacles ahead while traveling forward.
Solution: The front-mounted mower allows the operator to scan the area and adjust cutting versus reacting as the terrain changes. The result is faster mowing and improved ergonomics—the operator’s body sits straight and forward instead of twisted backward to watch the mower deck.
Nicollet County won a Minnesota SMART Transformation Award—given for a locally relevant significant change in any transportation activity or process that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) and results in improved efficiencies—for its Portable Ground-Force Sign Puller.
Problem: The current truck-mounted sign puller was cumbersome and unable to reach all sign posts.
Solution: This tool was fabricated in-house to pull sign posts in difficult areas and be safely operated by one person. It alleviates the need to mobilize additional equipment to remove posts that are further away than what the truck-mounted sign puller is able to reach.
In addition, submissions from the following cities were recognized as runners-up:
- City of Coon Rapids, Emergency Traffic Control Trailer—This portable and compact traffic control trailer is designed to efficiently carry and deploy everything needed to safely redirect or control the flow of traffic.
- City of Rogers, Hydraulically Operated Spoils Bin and Tool Carrier—A removable storage basket and hydraulically operated spoils bin were installed on a single-axle cab and chassis truck. The basket carries blowers and other tools necessary for pavement repair. Spoils and debris can be shoveled into the hydraulic bin and easily emptied by one person.
- City of St. Cloud, Traffic Counter Tube Test Station—This device allows city staff to test for defective road tubes before they are installed for traffic counting, greatly improving count accuracy.
- City of West St. Paul, Manhole Cover Magnet—Adding a powerful magnet to an old plow mount enables city workers to lift stuck manhole covers without manual effort, improving safety, speed, and efficiency.
Learn more about this year's winning projects.
The Minnesota Build a Better Mousetrap Competition is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board and administered by MnLTAP.