Dan Sparks

State Senator, District 27

Minnesota’s transportation network is the backbone of our state. In every part of Minnesota, millions of people rely on our roads and bridges every day to get on with their daily lives. Whether it’s going to school, going to work, or moving goods to market, it’s clear that an effective transportation network is critical to the success and health of our communities.

Unfortunately, Minnesota’s transportation network is showing some cracks in the system. With the 5th largest highway network in the country, it’s getting very expensive to repair and maintain our roads, especially as much of the system reaches the end of its useful life. In addition, our cold-weather puts extra wear and tear on our roads and bridges, and an increasing population and growing economy also strains the existing capacity.

To give an idea of just how expensive transportation repairs can be, let’s look at MnDOT District 6, which we are in. According to MnDOT the cost of preserving the current amount of pavement for the area is $41.1 million and preserving our bridges is another $16.9 million. Even with these preservations, they note that many of our two-lane highways and bridges are in poor condition. On top of these needs, our local communities have their own city streets that need new revenue to get in to the shape we want them in.

We have made some headway on transportation over the last few years. In 2013, we created the Corridors of Commerce program – a competitive program to increase the amount of trunk highway bonds that can be sold, which is directed towards critical projects that can reduce bottlenecks and expand capacity. This also helps relieve stress on system dollars for other projects. While this is a start, it’s clear we must do more to support our transportation network.

My colleagues and I in the Senate have proposed a comprehensive transportation bill with a long-term focus. When we look at our roads and bridges, it’s clear that we must have a stable funding stream that is consistent. We should make sure that the 10-year projects we start today have the funding they can rely on not only at its start, but when the project is finished. Only consistent and stable funding that is dedicated to roads and bridges will make this possible.

There are two projects that are being worked on in our district right now. The first is an overlay for Highway 105 on the southern side of Austin, and the second is the two bridge replacements on Highway 56 near Adams. MnDOT planning at current funding levels, only allows for a small number of projects in Mower County over the next few years. These projects are expensive, and represent only a slice of the total needed repairs in our area not to mention across the state. If we want to continue to make needed improvements, we must pass a long-term comprehensive transportation bill in 2016.

If you have questions or concerns about legislation and the session, I encourage you to contact my office at (651) 296-9248 or at sen.dan.sparks@senate.mn.