On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced four road construction projects that will receive funding under the state’s Corridors of Commerce program. The selections include projects in Hennepin, Sherburne, and Wright counties, but none outside of a 50-mile radius of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Senator Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) issued the following statement:

“Since its inception in 2013, the Corridors of Commerce program has overwhelmingly favored projects in the Twin Cities metro area. It’s a problem that we’ve recognized, and one we recently tried to correct.  Last session, we passed a law that not only increased funding for the Corridors of Commerce by $400 million but also added in clarifying language to force MnDOT to split the money with 50% going to the metro and 50% going to Greater MN Projects. Despite this, MnDOT has twisted the language classifying two projects in the northwest metro as “Great Minnesota.” Last I checked, Greater Minnesota wasn’t exclusively within a 50-mile radius of downtown Minneapolis. I hope that in the future we can provide additional reform, and encourage the Department of Transportation to finally recognize the many other deserving communities in the broader part of our state.”

The Corridors of Commerce program was established by the legislature in 2013 with the intent to invest in projects that support commerce in the state 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 in Greater Minnesota as well as the metro. It was amended in 2017 by a Republican-led legislature to provide more funding and an equal 50/50 split between Greater and metro Minnesota.