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Background Many wayside rests were built along Minnesota highways during the 1930s and ‘40s by New Deal federal relief workers. Located in some of the most scenic areas of the state, the waysides contain features such as scenic overlooks, picnic areas, hiking trails, and historic markers. Growing transportation demands, land development pressure, and limited maintenance threaten these increasingly scarce sites. Research The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) recognized their waysides were significant and hired consultants to evaluate these aging roadside facilities. Mn/DOT’s goal was to identify those properties eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The research, Historic Roadside Development Structures on Minnesota Trunk Highways, evaluated 102 properties and identified 51 individual sites and one district as eligible for the Register. As a result of the research, Mn/DOT is currently developing multiple planning documents. Benefits Mn/DOT anticipates the research and resulting planning documents will: a. Reduce internal and external individual project review processing time and costs. b. Enable better evaluation of site impacts related to roadway projects and facilitate proactive highway planning. c. Enable better decision-making for preserving and rehabilitating key sites within the context of their individual and collective cultural significance d. Identify properties eligible for the National Historic Register so preservation actions can be built into timely maintenance schedules. Liz Walton