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House Republicans Block $105 Million in Federal Transportation Funding for More Than 28 Road and Bridge Projects Across Minnesota

10/26/2016 1:51:30 PM

Governor calls objections “lacking in substance and merit,” stresses the impact on local roads, bridges, and communities across Minnesota

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton last night issued a letter to Representative Tim Kelly, Chair of the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee, calling out House Republicans for blocking $105 million in transportation investments funded by the federal FAST Act. This move will block more than 28 highway, road, and bridge projects in over a dozen communities across Minnesota.

In his letter, Governor Dayton calls the objections from House Republicans to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s recent Legislative Advisory Commission request to be “lacking in substance and merit,” noting that the House Republican Transportation Chair failed to produce a significant transportation funding package to utilize these federal dollars and provide a long-term transportation solution for the state.

“As Chair of the House Transportation Committee for the past two years, you have had ample opportunity to work with your colleagues in the Senate and send to my desk a significant transportation funding package that not only utilizes these federal dollars, but provides a long-term approach to fix our crumbling highway road and bridge infrastructure for the next generation,” wrote Governor Dayton. “Unfortunately for Minnesota, you have wasted your opportunity as Chair to act in that regard.”

The Governor’s letter stresses that, due to this funding being blocked by House Republicans, road and bridge projects in communities like Forest Lake, Bagley, New Ulm, Winona, Pine River, Hallock, Fairmont, Worthington, Foley, New Richland, Farmington, Savage, and Shakopee, among others, will now face delays.

“In order for the residents of these communities to enjoy the benefits of improved transportation infrastructure, I call on you to be responsible, withdraw your objection to this LAC request, and allow these projects to proceed on schedule,” wrote Governor Dayton. “Do not end your legislative career acting as an obstructionist to needed progress on highways, roads and bridges.”

The Governor’s letter comes in response to a letter sent by the House Republican Transportation Chair to the administration last week, laying out the Representative’s opposition to approving and investing these federal funds in transportation projects throughout Minnesota communities.

About FAST Act Funding

Under the federal FAST Act passed in December, 2015, Minnesota received an increase in funding for our highway construction program. This increase will amount to a $105 million reimbursement of federal funding for the 2016-2017 biennium.

Federal law requires states to commit to the increase, or lose the federal funding. However, the Minnesota Legislature must authorize the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to participate in this reimbursement. Because the 2016 legislature failed to pass a transportation bill that would authorize this funding, MnDOT requested that the Legislative Advisory Commission (LAC) approve this federal funding. House Republicans have now blocked this request.

Roads, Bridges, and Communities Affected

Under the obstruction of House Republicans, the $105 million in rejected federal funding could delay needed highway, road, and bridge projects in communities across Minnesota. Below, see some of the projects that would be affected.

Route System	City	County	Project	Description
US 169	Virginia	St. Louis	US 169 NB &SB, IN VIRGINIA, FROM .07 MI W CR‐109 TO JCT 53 (HOOVER RD)	Bridge Work
MN 11	International Falls	Koochiching	MN 11, FROM W JCT MN 71 TO 0.3 MI W JCT CSAH 332	Road Work
MN 175	Hallock	Kittson	MN 175, FROM E END BR 35005 OVER THE RED RIVER TO S. EMERSON AVE IN HALLOCK, & ON US 75, FROM 4TH ST TO 110' N OF 8TH ST, IN HALLOCK	Road Work
MN 197	Bemidji	Beltrami	MN 197, NB & SB FROM 7TH ST SW TO 3RD ST NW	Road Work
US 2	Bagley, Wilton	Clearwater	US 2, EB & WB FROM BAGLEY TO WILTON	Road Work
MN 6	Remer	Cass, Itasca	MN 6, FROM JCT MN 200 IN REMER TO CASS/ITASCA CO LINE	Road Work
MN 84	Pine River	Cass	MN 84, IN PINE RIVER, FROM CASS CSAH 1 TO JCT MN 200	Road Work
MN 25	Foley	Benton, Morrison	MN 25, FROM JCT MN 23 IN FOLEY TO BENTON/MORRISON CO LINE	Road Work
MN 25	Genola	Benton, Morrison	MN 25, FROM BENTON/MORRISON COUNTY LINE TO 123 ST IN GENOLA	Road Work
US 59	Montevideo	Swift	ON US 59, FROM TH 119 TO TH 12, AND AT BRIDGE #76002	Road Work
MN 29	Benson	Swift	ON TH 29, FROM S OF OAKWOOD AVE. TO CHIPPEWA RIVER, ON TH 9, FROM CHIPPEWA RIVER TO N OF CSAH 104. ON TH 12, FROM 181/2ND ST S TO W OF CSAH 25	Road Work
MN 43	Winona	Winona	WORK PACKAGE #6 ‐ COMPLETE ROADWAY APPROACHES FOR BRIDGES 85851 AND 5900, RECONSTRUCTION BRIDGE 5900 AND COMPLETE BRIDGE 85851	Road Work
US 14	Winona	Winona	ON US 14, REPLACE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE 85003 NEAR ST MARY'S UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN WINONA	Bridge Work
MN 15	Fairmont	Martin	MN 15, FROM JOHNSON STREET TO 0.05 MI S OF GOEMANN RD IN FAIRMONT	Road Work
US 14	New Ulm	Brown	US 14, FROM 0.1 MI E OF CSAH 27 TO THE WEST LIMITS OF NEW ULM	Road Work
US 59	Worthington	Nobles	US 59, FROM N JCT TH 60 TO I90 IN WORTHINGTON	Road Work
MN 4	Sleepy Eye	Nicollet, Renville	MN 4, FROM JCT TH 68 TO THE NICOLLET/RENVILLE COUNTY LINE	Road Work
MN 13	New Richland	Waseca	MN 13, TH 30 IN NEW RICHLAND TO 0.9 MI S OF JCT TH 14, REHAB BR#81001 & 81002	Road Work
US 71	Willmar	Kandiyohi	US 71, N OF JCT MN 23 TO N OF JCT MN 9	Road Work
US 71	Willmar	Kandiyohi	US 71, JCT US 71/KANDIYOHI CSAH 40 & ALSO AT US 71/CSAH 29	Road Work
US 71		Kandiyohi	US 71, JCT US 71/MN 9	Road Work
MN 4	Fairfax	Renville	MN 4, MN 68 TO MN 19 (FAIRFAX)	Road Work
US 59	Marshall	Lyon	US 59, US 59 & LYON CSAH 6	Road Work
I 35W	Bloomington	Hennepin	I35W, 86TH STREET BRIDGE OVER I35W IN BLOOMINGTON‐REPLACE OLD BRIDGE #9039 WITH NEW BRIDGE # 27W40	Bridge Work
MN 50	Farmington, Hampton	Dakota	MN50, FROM MN3 IN FARMINGTON TO US52 IN HAMPTON	Road Work
MN 13	Savage, Burnsville, Shakopee	Scott	MN13, FROM JCT OF TH 901B IN SAVAGE TO 0.4 MI E WASHBURN AVE IN BURNSVILLE AND ON TH 901B, FROM 0.1 MI W OF TH 169 IN SHAKOPEE TO JCT WITH MN13	Road Work
US 52	Coates, Hampton	Dakota	US52, FROM JCT WITH CSAH 86 TO CSAH 46 IN DAKOTA COUNTY	Grade and Surface
MN 97	Forest Lake	Washington	MN97, AT 11ST (MSAS 135) IN FOREST LAKE	Grade and Surface

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