Minnesota has awarded some $32 million in grants for transportation projects statewide. The awards come from a joint effort between the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The grants will be split among 11 projects and was awarded under the state’s Transportation Economic Development Program (TED).
MnDOT and DEED received 22 project proposals to its 2015 solicitation. Eleven proposals came from the Twin Cities metro area and 11 from Greater Minnesota, requesting a total of more than $76 million in funding. Officials say project selection was based on consistency with transportation plans, economic benefits, project financing and project readiness.
Projects chosen in this round are also near the stage where they need only a small amount of additional capital before they can begin the bidding process. MnDOT and DEED estimate that once the projects are open for bidding, the work could create as many as 5,900 jobs in the next five years.
Award recipients break down into three primary categories – roadway maintenance, existing highway expansion, and new transportation extensions. Each of the projects are in various states of completion, but bidding will begin as early as this year and last through 2018.
“These are great projects, but they don’t come close to meeting our need for a sustainable, comprehensive solution to Minnesota’s transportation challenges,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith in a statement on the awards. “If we want to grow jobs and our economy, we need a statewide transportation system that works everywhere, for Minnesotans and Minnesota businesses.” Smith has pushed for more transportation and infrastructure funding throughout her tenure.
The full list of projects is available here.