ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced ten highway construction projects slated to receive funding through the state’s new $300 million Corridors of Commerce program.
Several projects in northeastern Minnesota were selected out of over 400 proposals from throughout the state. They include expanding approximately 1.6 miles of Highway 169 from two to four lanes near Bovey and adding three sections of passing lanes on Highway 2 between Cass Lake and Deer River.
“These projects will improve commerce and business between all communities in our region,” said State Representative Tom Anzelc (DFL – Balsam Township). “We’ve been talking about expanding this segment of Highway 169 for thirty years now because our people understand the positive impact it will have on our economy. It will speed up the flow of logging and mining trucks, improve safety, and help Grand Rapids prosper as a regional retail center.”
Anzelc added that the Highway 169 expansion has always been one of the top issues he highlights when he has an opportunity to speak with Governor Dayton.
“I owe a major thank you to MnDOT and Governor Dayton,” said Anzelc. “I’m very pleased these projects will move forward. We have more work to do to address our region’s transportation needs, but this is important progress we can all be proud of. I will continue to work with members of our communities to advocate for improvements to our roads in northeastern Minnesota.”
Enacted during the 2013 legislative session, the Corridors of Commerce program authorizes trunk highway bonding to be used for projects that are not already in the state’s four-year State Transportation Improvement Program. The legislation established two major goals for the program: to increase highway capacity on segments where bottlenecks occur and to improve the movement of freight and reduce barriers to commerce.
MnDOT staff evaluated eligible projects on selection criteria that included project readiness and deliverability, community support, projected return on investment, and safety impacts.
The total ten selected projects for the program are:
|
Route
|
Project
|
Preliminary Cost Estimate
(millions)
|
Estimated
Construction Start
|
Project Category
|
|
Hwy 2
|
Passing lanes from Cass Lake to Deer River
|
$8-$10
|
2014
|
Freight Improvement
|
|
I-94
|
Lanes from MN 101 to MN 241
|
$35-$46
|
2014
|
IRC Capacity Development
|
|
Hwy 34
|
Passing lanes from Detroit Lakes to Nevis
|
$11-$15
|
2014
|
Freight Improvement
|
|
Hwy 14
|
4-lane Owatonna to Dodge Center
|
$16-$20
|
2014
|
IRC Capacity Development
|
|
Hwy 610
|
Freeway from CSAH 81 to I-94
|
$103-$131
|
2014
|
Metro Capacity Development
|
|
Hwy 14
|
4-lane N. Mankato to Nicollet
|
$20-$28
|
2015
|
IRC Capacity Development
|
|
Hwy 14
|
Nicollet Bypass (4 lane)
|
$15-$25
|
2015
|
IRC Capacity Development
|
|
I-694
|
Dynamic shoulder lane from Rice to Lexington
|
$35-$42
|
2015
|
Metro Capacity Development
|
|
Hwy 169
|
4-lane from CSAH 15 to 1 mile east of CSAH 7
|
$14-$20
|
2016
|
Freight Improvement
|
|
Hwy 23
|
Passing lanes from Willmar to I-90
|
$13-$19
|
2016
|
Freight Improvement
|
More information about the Corridors of Commerce program can be found at www.mndot.gov/corridorsofcommerce.
Rep. Anzelc encourages his constituents to contact him with any questions or feedback about the Corridors of Commerce program and its local impact. He can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4936, by email at rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn, or by postal mail at 517 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.