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P <br />• <br />April 17, 2020 <br />Elaine L. Chao <br />U.S. Department of Transportation <br />1200 New Jersey Ave. SE <br />Washington, DC 20590 <br />RE: Letter of Support for the 2020 BUILD Discretionary Grant: Highway 169/County Highway 4 Interchange <br />Project (Zimmerman, MN) <br />Dear Ms. Chao: <br />I am writing in support of Sherburne County, Minnesota's application for funding through the United States <br />Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant. If <br />awarded, the funding would be used to complete a long -planned interchange at U.S. Highway 169 and County <br />Highway 4 in the City of Zimmerman, Minnesota. This project addresses critical safety concerns and will <br />provide crucial capacity to support increasing traffic volumes on U.S. Highway 169. <br />The project is regionally significant as it will serve several rural communities in greater Central Minnesota and <br />enhance access to the metropolitan region. The project is in a rural community and will provide a critical linkage <br />to the Twin Cities economic center. U.S. Highway 169 is a vital north -south arterial route in central Minnesota <br />and serves an important role in supporting commuters, freight movement, and recreational travel. Travel from <br />76 of the 87 counties in Minnesota passes through the project area. <br />Currently, U.S. Highway 169 in the City of Zimmerman is a four -lane, divided highway with at -grade roadway <br />and driveway intersections, traffic signals at major intersections, and limited frontage and backage road systems. <br />The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has secured funding to reconstruct U.S. Highway <br />169 to a freeway system. The County is seeking BUILD funds to complete the vision for the U.S. Highway <br />169 corridor and address critical safety issues. <br />The U.S. Highway 169/County Highway 4 intersection will represent the last remaining signalized intersection <br />within a 75-mile corridor of U.S. Highway 169 between Interstate 94 and Mille Lacs County following <br />completion of the MnDOT's Highway 169 Reconstruction Project. The current traffic signal control at the <br />Highway 169/County Highway 4 is ranked 21id worst in safety within Central Minnesota (MnDOT District 3). <br />Reconstruction of this intersection is critical to eliminate significant safety issues, expand capacity, and support <br />the freight and tourism industries that rely on this corridor. <br />13065 Orono Parkway <br />Elk River, MN 55330 Phone: <br />763.635.1000 <br />www.ElkRiverMN.gov <br />