ST. CLOUD -- Minnesota Department of Transportation District 3 supports District 8's efforts to fund the proposed bypass at Paynesville, but can't contribute financially, according to its assistant engineer.
MnDOT District 3 has a 13-county area that extends from southern Cass County in the north down to Sherburne and Wright counties near the metro area. The district's population is expected to increase by 50 percent in 20 years, said Jim Povich, MnDOT District 3 assistant engineer.
"We've got many communities in our district that have pretty bad traffic congestion to date," he said.
District 3's top priorities are maintenance and safety, but the district doesn't have enough to fund them, or solutions to congestion problems in St. Cloud and cities like Elk River, Povich said. The district would rather fund a project that saves someone's life than one that shaves 10 minutes off a trip, he said.
The district has about 60 fatalities a year on state highways, and accidents are more likely to occur on two-lane highways with high volumes, Povich said.
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Highway 23 at Paynesville is not as busy as some of the other two-lane highways in the district, he said. From Paynesville to Richmond, Highway 23 has about 6,000 vehicles a day, with 2030 projections showing 11,300 vehicles a day, Povich said.
