Minneapolis, MN – Thanks to cost savings at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the DFL-led legislature’s new investments in statewide road and bridge improvements, replacement of the Central Avenue/Highway 65 bridge deck is being accelerated.
Governor Mark Dayton announced $1 million in state funding for the project’s design phase at a news conference the morning of Tuesday, October 7. The appropriation is part of a $331 million investment in Minnesota’s ‘Corridors of Commerce’ program, an initiative to improve the state’s transportation system by enhancing safety, adding capacity and improving movement of freight.
“I am pleased with Governor Dayton’s strong leadership on transportation,” said State Representative Phyllis Kahn, who represents the section of Minneapolis where the Central Avenue bridge is located. “I share the Governor’s enthusiasm for building a 21st century transportation system. Today’s announcement is another important step toward making that goal a reality.”
To date, 27 road and bridge projects have received state funding through the Corridors of Commerce program since November 2013. The latest round of funding announced today will speed up work on 13 essential transportation improvement projects.
In addition to the Central Avenue bridge deck replacement project, Kahn helped secure $11.75 million in the past year to rehabilitate the Franklin Avenue bridge, another vital transportation artery located in the legislative district she represents.
Rep. Kahn encourages her constituents to contact her with any questions or feedback. She can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4257, by email at rep.phyllis.kahn@house.mn or by postal mail at 365 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.