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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Nick Zerwas (R)

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RELEASE: Rep. Zerwas Statement on Elk River Corridors of Commerce Funding Announcement

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

SAINT PAUL, MN The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) today awarded up to $174 million to the project to convert Highway 169 in Elk River into a freeway as part of the Corridors of Commerce program. Rep. Nick Zerwas, R-Elk River, gave the following statement on the announcement:

“Receiving Corridors of Commerce funding for Highway 169 is great news for our area. I’ve long been a proponent of using Corridors of Commerce dollars to expand this stretch of 169 into a freeway, and see this as a way to expand access to Elk River and increase the safety of one of our main thoroughfares. We’ve repeatedly seen how the intersection of 169 and Main Street can be unsafe for pedestrians, like the tragic accident involving a local seventh-grader last September. Through the Corridors of Commerce funding, we’ll see the needed improvements to this stretch to help improve safety for our residents.”

MnDOT awarded a total of $469 million to four projects as part of the Corridors of Commerce program. The projects, intended to improve the state transportation system in ways that specifically support Minnesota’s economy, will begin during the next four years.

“I look forward to these dollars being used to expand our local transportation system, reducing congestion, improving safety, and aiding our area economy,” said Zerwas. “I also want to thank Elk River city engineer Justin Femrite, the City of Elk River, Sherburne County, and the Elk River Chamber of Commerce for spearheading this effort, and getting it over the goal line.”

Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature created the Corridors of Commerce program in 2013 to invest in projects that support commerce in the state, but that are not already considered in the state’s transportation investment plan. Since that time, the program has provided more than $330 million to dozens of projects across the state. For more information about the program, and to view the submitted project recommendations, visit www.mndot.gov/corridorsofcommerce.

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