Senator Carla Nelson and her fellow Senate Capital Investment Committee members unveiled a “brick and mortar” state infrastructure bill last week that prioritizes transportation and critical road and bridge repairs, including full funding for the completion of the Highway 14 four-lane expansion project.

 

“After Governor Dayton’s Department of Transportation failed to deliver a single cent toward Highway 14 through their Corridors of Commerce program, I publicly called for bonding dollars to fund this desperately needed project,” said Senator Nelson. “The Senate Capital Investment bill delivers on that promise and will not only improve Highway 14’s safety, but strengthen a vital artery of commerce through Southern Minnesota.”

Building on last year’s landmark investments in Minnesota’s roads and bridges, the 2018 Senate Capital Investment bill dedicates more than $342 million to statewide transportation projects. This year, the Department of Transportation’s Corridors of Commerce program provided funding for road and bridge projects solely located within 35 minutes of downtown Minneapolis, excluding Highway 14 and Greater Minnesota.

 

“As a member of the Senate Capital Investment Committee, I joined my fellow members in traveling hundreds of miles across our state to hear directly from Minnesotans who would be impacted by these projects,” added Senator Nelson. “We responded to their needs and concerns in crafting a bill that focuses on investing in our state’s essential infrastructure. Transportation, and specifically Highway 14, was a chief-concern of many in Southern Minnesota, and I am proud to say that we delivered. Now, it is up to Governor Dayton to listen to Greater Minnesota and make this bill law.”

For a full list of projects and more details on the entire proposal, please visit the Senate’s Capital Investment website at www.mnfrastructure.com.