Construction projects on several area highways were included in a list of statewide road and bridge upgrades set to begin this year, according to an announcement by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The projects – including Highway 75 in Pipestone and Highway 60 from Windom to Mountain Lake – are among the more than 250 road and bridge construction projects that will take place throughout the state this year.

These projects are made possible by the comprehensive transportation funding package passed during the 2017 legislative session, which had bipartisan support that includes Senator Bill Weber (R-Luverne). The budget, which amounted to the largest investment in Minnesota roads and bridges in state history without a tax increase, reallocated existing state revenue to add $300 million in permanent, ongoing funding for roads and bridges – without raising gas taxes or license tab fees. The bill also included specific funding for locally-maintained roads, assistance for small cities, and funding for local bridge replacement and rehabilitation.

Here are the details of the area projects set to begin:

Highway 60 (Windom to Mountain Lake)

• Complete the four-lane expansion of Highway 60 from Windom to St. James

Highway 75 (Pipestone)

• Resurfacing Highway 75 from the junction of Highway 23/Highway 30 to the junction of Highway 23/Highway 75 in Pipestone
• Constructing a continuous two-way left turn lane
• Updating pedestrian facilities to meet the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards

Senator Bill Weber is in his second term representing District 22, which includes communities in Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock counties. He chairs the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Policy Committee.