Transportation issues addressed
What’s less easy to see, although arguably just as important, are the traffic issues in southern Minnesota.
That’s why a dozen or so state representatives involved in the House Transportation Finance Committee gathered in the Blue Earth County Board room in Mankato Monday night for a joint hearing with the Transportation Alliance. The I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to transportation issues in Minnesota, said Rep. Bernie Lieder, chair of the committee.
About 70 county and city officials and area residents attended Monday, many who gave testimony about why transportation funding is needed in southern Minnesota.
“Obviously, this is a very critical issue for all of us,” said Rep. Kathy Brynaert.
District Engineer Jim Swanson and a colleague outlined a freight transportation field study by the Minnesota Department of Transportation that addressed various issues repeated throughout others’ testimony.
Many of the rural roads and bridges in the area were designed in the 1950s and ’60s and were not intended for the amount and weight of traffic the roads see today. About twice as much traffic and four times as much tonnage travel the roadways today than the amount they were designed for. This is causing road deterioration and unsafe conditions, among other problems. Crop production has doubled and ethanol production also has drastically increased, which means more trucks are traveling on the inadequate roads. As ethanol plants and even windmills are propping up along old, narrow roads, traffic issues are created when there are no turn lanes or acceleration lanes for passing traffic as large trucks and semis pull into these places, Swanson said. Highway 60, otherwise known to MnDOT as “ethanol alley,” is an example.
The problem, of course, is funding. MnDOT doesn’t have the funds to get all the area roads and bridges in good working condition. As Blue Earth County Engineer Al Forsberg testified, 16 bridges in the county need to be replaced and only three are currently being addressed.
Most of the roads in the county were created quickly 50 years ago “to get the vehicles out of the mud,” Forsberg said, meaning they’re six to 10 inches of gravel with a thin layer of bituminous overlay and can’t handle the weight of the freight trucks. They need to be upgraded to handle 10 tons of weight. “Our agricultural products are about as far from the world market as you can get,” Forsberg said. “We need trucks, roads and bridges to get them there.”
Forsberg recommended paying for these kinds of improvements through a comprehensive transportation bill, including a gas-tax increase, which was cited often by others giving testimony. Blue Earth County Commissioner Colleen Landkamer also mentioned a half-percent sales tax, with 50 percent going to transit services, 25 percent going to roads and bridges and 25 percent going to discretionary funds.
“Every trip that is made usually starts on a local road,” Landkamer said.
North Mankato Mayor Gary Zellmer shared a personal story about how dangerous local roads can be when in need of improvement. His brother-in-law and two close friends have died from crashes on the stretch of Highway 14 from North Mankato to New Ulm, a project which has been repeatedly delayed due to lack of funds.
“Highway 14 is the example of the piecemeal funding of highway projects,” he said. “It’s a death trap.” MnDOT’s latest figures show a needed $2.4 billion per year in funding over the next 10 years to address the unmet construction and maintenance needs in the state transportation system. Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s latest proposal would be to provide $150 million per year.
Meanwhile, Rep. Bernie Lieder pointed out, the state hasn’t even secured federal funding for the rebuilding of I-35, and if it doesn’t come through, other projects throughout the state will be delayed to borrow money.
