Before he went home to Kenyon to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and other relatives, State Rep.

Friday, November 26, 1999

Before he went home to Kenyon to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and other relatives, State Rep. Steve Sviggum joined other Republicans in announcing a major road and bridges funding plan.

With Highway 94 in the background, House Republican leaders on Wednesday announced a major transportation funding package designed to relieve traffic bottlenecks in the Twin Cities and spur economic development in rural Minnesota.

According to Sviggum, the initiative will be "at least $400 million.

While it is designed to relive bottlenecks among important transportation routes throughout Minnesota, the Kenyon farmer, basketball referee and state legislator expects it to prime the pump for economic development, too.

"The time has come for a major commitment to roads and bridges," said Sviggum. "This initiative will get commuters home from work faster so they can spend more time with their families, and improve our roads and bridges in rural Minnesota, which will increase economic activity and safety."

That news should appeal to county highway engineers and township boards as well as county commissioners, struggling to juggle road and bridge improvements with other priorities for their local units of government.

Sviggum also said the GOP has heard the cries and complaints of local units of government and will act to assist them when the year 2000 legislative session begins.

"This unprecedented commitment to roads and bridges will be at the top of the Republican agenda for the 2000 session," he said. "A combination of bonding and surplus funding will be used to finance the package."

"Bottlenecks and other transportation business as usual must go," said the Senate GOP leader.

"The state’s current policy of just accepting congestion and not expanding roads and bridges in the metro area as a way to promote bus and light rail transit is ridiculous," said Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty.

"Republicans recognize that most people are still going to get around by oar for the foreseeable future and we need to deal with that reality," Pawlenty said.

State Rep. Carol Molnau, chairwoman of the House transportation finance committee said projects or highways will not be specifically designated in the plan.

Instead, the money will likely be infused into the current funding system, where many projects have already been designated by the Department of Transportation as top priorities.

"Building and maintaining roads and bridges is one of the core functions of state government," added Molnau.