The best rings are placed on installment plans. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) is married to the fact that more needs to be done to respond to congestion around the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. It certainly has shown a commitment behind a massive reconstruction of the I-494/694 ring road around the two cities. The first two phases of the project have already been paid for thanks to a recent bonding bill passed by the state legislature, and Mn/DOT officials are hoping more funding is on the way. When the five-stage project is complete, Minnesota will have $657 million of new road—three new lanes in each direction—and, ideally, easier commute times. It’s a design-build solution on a grand scale, one worthy of top billing on Roads & Bridges’ 2005 Top 10 Roads.