‘Dedicated’ MnDOT project manager who oversaw agency’s major projects dies at 55

From the major rebuild of Interstate 35W through south Minneapolis to adding extra lanes on Interstate 494 from Plymouth to Maple Grove, Scott Pedersen left his mark on Twin Cities transportation.

Pedersen worked as a designer and project manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and for more than 30 years guided some of the agency’s biggest metro area road construction projects from conception to completion.

“He kept complex projects on budget and on time,” said Jay Hietpas, a MnDOT transportation engineer. “We want to keep roads safe and that is what he was dedicated to.”

Pedersen, 55, died July 10 at his home in St. Michael, Minn., following a short illness, those who knew him said.

After graduating from St. Michael-Albertville High School in 1986, Pedersen started his career at MnDOT working days while spending nights earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota. One of his first jobs was serving as a construction inspector when MnDOT rehabilitated the I-94 bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis in the early 1990s.

His resume includes expanding I-94 to four lanes between Hwy. 280 and downtown Minneapolis, transforming Hwy. 212 in the southwest metro into a four-lane freeway and the new I-35W bridge over the Minnesota River that includes facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists. He most recently served as MnDOT’s director of program delivery.

“Any major project, he had his input on it,” said Kevin Jullie, a project director at SRF Consulting and one of Pedersen’s longtime friends. “He was very smart and analytical.”

Described as a “no-nonsense engineer,” Pedersen was more than just about building highway bridges. He was a master at conducting public engagement, a mentor to up-and-coming engineers and maintained a deep Rolodex with names and numbers of his counterparts in cities and counties. He knew almost everybody at MnDOT, was funny and upbeat always had a story to tell, Hietpas said.

“He was a great relationship builder,” Jullie said. “He was always willing to introduce people who didn’t know each other so they could collaborate and be successful in their personal and professional lives.”

Though his golf game was mediocre, “he enjoyed it and always came back for more,” Jullie said. Pedersen was also interested in World War II, a fan of Minnesota sports teams and liked to watch Olympic track and field events, according to his online obituary.

In recent years, Pedersen moved back to his home city and in 2021 joined the St. Michael Planning Commission. A year later he was elected to the City Council, with his only agenda to serve, said Mayor Keith Wettschreck, who read a resolution honoring Pedersen at this week’s City Council meeting.

“He had an interest in the city and wanted to do things for the city,” Wettschreck said. “He never missed a meeting. I valued his input. He had the city at heart.”

Pedersen is survived by his parents, Thor and Linda Pedersen; and a brother, David. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 11024 Church St. NE., Hanover, Minn.