When we were growing up Sourthern Minnesota, Highway 14 was notoriously dangerous; its deadly reputation remains to this day. Thus, people along the highway's corridor aren't happy to learn that their future safety might be exchanged in order to rebuild the I35 bridge--and many wonder why it has to be an either-or proposition.
On October 3, the Mankato Free Press reported Highway 14 funds could be diverted to bridge. A local mayor speaks:
“Very, very concerned,” said Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz, summarizing his thoughts about the potential of MnDOT’s cash-flow problems delaying the $130 million Highway 14 expansion.
“That would be a very tempting target (for MnDOT),” said Kuntz, chairman of the Highway 14 Partnership.
Area leaders have been working since the 1970s to get the road expanded from two lanes to four, and it would be a demoralizing blow for them to see the money diverted — even temporarily — when the construction is finally slated to begin in July.
“I hope that we have strong enough leaders at the state that can find a way to cover the shortfalls rather than always robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Kuntz said.
Walz has added his voice to the chorus of concern in a statement:
[Yesterday,] Rep. Tim Walz reacted to reports that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is considering a plan to fund the construction of a new I-35 bridge by deferring construction on vital greater Minnesota highway projects, including upgrades to Highway 14.
The Transportation Contingent Appropriations Group, a group of eight Minnesota state legislators, has been asked by Governor Tim Pawlenty to approve $195 million in funding for the replacement of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis. Should they fail to reach an agreement, MnDOT may choose to shift funding from pending highway projects to bridge construction.
"It's been clear for some time now that MnDOT is strapped for cash," said Walz. "After preventing a special session from addressing the bridge collapse, the Governor now only has two options to pay for a new bridge: work with state legislators to authorize new funding, or neglect vital work on other transportation projects."
Walz said that delaying work on Highway 14 to pay for the bridge is not a solution.
"Minnesota can't be governed by veto, it must be governed with vision," Walz said. "I hope that Governor Pawlenty has the vision to invest in Minnesota's highways and Minnesota's future."
Walz said there is a broad coalition of support for improving Highway 14, including elected officials and businesses in nearly every community along the highway, from Rochester to New Ulm.
"After the collapse of the I-35 bridge, all Minnesotans came together to help. But pitting one area's badly-needed highway project against another area's badly-needed bridge project is not a solution," Walz said. "It will only lead to more dangerous roads and crumbling infrastructure. That failure to invest in infrastructure is the exact kind of thinking that led to the bridge collapse in the first place."
Following the collapse of the Interstate 35-W bridge on August 1, 2007, Congress acted within 48 hours to authorize $250 million in federal aid for recovery and repair. The total cost associated with the collapse and replacement has since been estimated at $393 million. Though additional federal funds are available, the State of Minnesota has yet to request the assistance needed to address the shortfall.
Update: The conservative New Ulm Journal gives a "Thumbs Down" to the possible diversion of funding, and notes:
Highway 14 is one of the most important highway projects in southern Minnesota. It’s too bad the state hasn’t had the foresight to make sure it has the money to handle its major projects while it works on the immediate problem of getting the bridge rebuilt.
Why wasn’t this issue up for discussion during the recent special session of the Legislature, the session dealing with the bridge issue? Because Governor Pawlenty made it clear that he didn’t want the Legislature expanding the agenda and doing something crazy, like raising gasoline taxes for the first time since 1988 to help pay for the state’s portion of the bridge rebuilding, and keeping the rest of our much needed and often delayed projects on schedule.
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