Over the past couple of construction seasons, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has rebuilt portions of Interstate 35 between Forest Lake and Duluth and repaved others.
It took a lot of time and cost a lot of money, but the result is a smooth ride for motorists traveling between the Twin Ports and the Twin Cities and should serve them well for years to come.
Unfortunately, many motorists on other state roads find them in need of a similar makeover. MnDOT will get $18 billion over the next 20 years to do that. While that sounds like a whole lot of cashola, a recent report found that the agency will need $30 billion "to keep pace with Minnesota's growing population and aging infrastructure."
Minnesota ranks 38th in pavement quality, and more than half of the state's highways and 35 percent of its bridges are more than 50 years old. At that age, things need some TLC.
Without the extra $12 billion, the "Assessing Return on Investment in Minnesota's State Highway Program" report put out by the Transportation Finance Advisory Committee said there will be serious ramifications. Over the next two decades, the amount of pavement in poor condition will rise by 13 percent and more than 200 bridges will be in poor condition. For motorists, that translates into slower travel times, increased safety issues and higher vehicle operating costs. The report also said congestion will worsen in the Twin Cities and "MnDOT will have little ability to address local concerns or add capacity."
Transit advocates are seeking $20 billion to help build out a transportation network.
That money would be used to pay for such projects as extending the Blue Line from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park, adding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line on I-35W and additional BRT or streetcar lines on such thoroughfares as Lake Street, Chicago Avenue, W. Broadway in Minneapolis and on W. 7th and Robert streets in St. Paul.
In recent weeks, MnDOT Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle and Met Council Chairwoman Susan Haigh have been touring the state together to make their case for more funding to and ask residents and business owners what they want to see in a transportation network.