The Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee paid a visit to the County Road 46 reconstruction project in Rosemount as part of a metro-area bonding tour on Monday, September 18. Dakota County has requested $21.4 million in state bonding dollars to expand County Road 46 from a two-lane to a four-lane divided roadway between Highway 3 and Highway 52. The county will provide $21.4 million in local matching funds, bringing the total project cost to $42.8 million.

“The increase in everyday traffic and truck volumes has made travel along County Road 46 a challenge from a safety and mobility perspective,” said Senator Bill Lieske (R-Lonsdale), who represents the area. “Expanding it to four lanes, adding turn lanes, and making other improvements will go a long way toward improving safety and traffic flow. I am grateful the committee took the time to visit this project up close and learn about why it is a high priority.”

“This is a really important safety project that deserves to be included in next year’s bonding bill, which I sincerely hope will be focused strictly on critical infrastructure,” Sen. Lieske added. “We have limited resources and a lot of important needs; bonding dollars must be targeted only on the most urgent needs facing our state.”

According to a handout from Dakota County, as population growth, truck traffic, and overall traffic volumes increase across the region, County Road 46 is becoming increasingly dangerous for motorists to navigate. The proposed expansion to four lanes will allow for safer passing of slower-moving vehicles, reducing back-ups that frequently slow traffic well below posted speeds. Dedicated turn lanes will provide more space for trucks and other vehicles waiting to enter or exit the highway.

County Road 46 is a critical east-west connection across Dakota County, carrying between 11,000-15,100 vehicles per day. The corridor has seen continued population and economic growth in recent years. Large gravel mining operations located along the route have also increased truck traffic, with up to 825 gravel and concrete trucks entering County Road 46 daily during peak construction season.