WILLMAR -- The state Highway 23 bypass project at Paynesville will receive federal funding through the Southwest Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership after a close vote Tuesday.
The partnership voted 8-7 to approve the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 8's request for $6.3 million in funding in 2009. The project will also need funding through the partnership in 2010 and 2011 for a total of $21,981,000.
"We're very, very happy. This has been something we've been working on for a long time" said Bob Dols of Willmar and a member of a group that has promoted a four-lane connection from Willmar to St. Cloud.
The decision came after some discussion about whether District 8 funding should go to the Paynesville project, most of which is located in District 3. This is the first time the partnership has decided to fund a project outside District 8.
MnDOT plans to build a four-lane bypass west and north of Paynesville, starting in 2009. The project's construction and right of way acquisition are estimated to cost $48 million.
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The Southwest Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership decides which state, county and city projects receive the federal funding allocated annually to District 8, which is made up of 12 counties: Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine.
Besides the bypass, the partnership also had about $24.7 million in other project requests to consider for funding for 2009. The total amount available in 2009 is $23.3 million.
MnDOT's original request for the bypass in 2009 had been $7.5 million, but its proposal Tuesday was for $6.3 million. That means MnDOT will require larger amounts in 2010 and 2011 to reach its total $21.9 million request.
Before the meeting, four counties, Lyon, Murray, Renville and Yellow Medicine, had passed resolutions opposing District 8 funding the project without money from District 3. District 3 has said it doesn't have enough money to contribute to the Paynesville bypass. The Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission also opposed the funding request.
Those opposing the Paynesville funding request agreed it was a worthy project, but thought it could be funded through other means.
About $9 million has already been earmarked for the project through federal appropriations and transportation bills. MnDOT plans to split that amount to fund construction and right of way, but opponents of the funding said it could all be used for right of way acquisition.
Bob Fenske, a Lyon County commissioner and partnership member, said the bypass is important for the region, but said it will already use MnDOT District 8 state funds. He suggested state bonding money be used to fund the rest instead of the federal money.
In general, he said there isn't enough state funding for transportation and blamed a "total lack of leadership" from the state administration and some legislators for it. He said the gas tax has been frozen for about 18 years.
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"If we had the funding, we wouldn't be in this problem," Fenske said.
Last year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a $7 billion-plus transportation funding bill that would have increased the gasoline tax 10 cents in phases over three years.
Dave Trooien, MnDOT District 8 engineer and partnership member, said he has heard from people throughout District 8 that a four-lane highway is needed in southwest Minnesota. Communities with four-lane highways experience greater growth than those that don't have one, he said.
Four-lane highways elsewhere in the district aren't feasible because the traffic counts usually need to be at least 10,000 vehicles per day to justify widening a highway, Trooien said.
The bypass would add another four-lane section to state Highway 23, which is already four lanes from Willmar to New London and from Richmond to St. Cloud.
The plans for the bypass will be given to the Paynesville City Council this month for its approval. The council will need to host a public hearing before it makes a decision.
The votes
Yes: Sheldon Nies, McLeod County Commissioner and Mid-Minnesota Development Commission representative; Ron Kutzke, Meeker County commissioner and Mid-Minnesota representative; Jack Keers, Pipestone County commissioner and Southwest Regional Development Commission representative; Ron Mortensen, Meeker County engineer; Tom Behm, MnDOT; Keith Voss, MnDOT; Todd Broadwell, MnDOT; Dave Trooien, MnDOT.
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No: Gary Johnson, Yellow Medicine County commissioner and Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission representative; Jim Dahlvang, Chippewa County commissioner and Upper Minnesota Valley RDC representative; Bob Fenske, Lyon County commissioner and Southwest Regional Development Commission representative; Anita Benson, Lyon County public works director; Steve Kubista, Chippewa County engineer; Glenn Olson, Marshall city engineer; Bill McVicker, Pipestone County transit director.
