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Minnesota Department of Transportation <br /> <br />News Release <br /> <br />Office of Communications <br />$g5 John Ireland Blvd.- Mail Stop 150 <br />St. Paul, MN 55155-1899 <br /> <br />April 8, 2003 <br /> <br />For Immediate Release <br /> <br />Office Tel: 651/296-3581 <br /> Fax: 651/297-4776 <br /> <br /> Statewide Contact: Jeanne Aamodt <br /> 651/297-3597 <br />Twin Cities Metro Contact: Todd Kramascz <br />651/582-1465 <br /> <br />Mn/DOT launches 2003 road construction season <br />Without new state funding, construction set to drop by nearly half next year <br /> <br /> ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Transportation today announced <br />the beginning of the state's 2003 highway improvement program. Mn/DOT will start or <br />carry-over nearly 200 construction projects designed to relieve congestion, improve <br />interregional corridors and enhance safety on the state's 12,000-mile trunk highway system. <br /> <br /> The 2003 program includes 137 projects in Greater Minnesota and 62 projects in the <br />Twin Cities. Of that total, there are 79 projects carded over from the previous construction <br />season and 120 new ones valued at $600 million for this construction season. <br /> <br /> Mn/DOT officials warned, however, that investments in highway construction and <br />preservation projects will drop dramatically beginning next year unless the state Legislature <br />approves additional transportation funding this session. <br /> <br /> "The $459 million in one-time funding allocated by the 2000 Legislature has boosted <br />spending on transportation to record levels for now. Without that funding, Mn/DOT could <br />not have accelerated projects like the Hwy 371 bypass in Brainerd, the Wakota Bridge in <br />South St. Paul and improvements to Hwy 52 in Rochester," said Lt. Gov. and Transportation <br />Commissioner Carol Molnau. "But this one-time money will be spent by June 30. Without <br />additional financing, construction next year could be reduced by as much as 50 percent." <br /> <br /> Last month, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Molnau unveiled a transportation-financing <br />package that would invest $1-$1.2 billion to accelerate critical highway and bridge <br />improvement projects by as much as nine years. This proposal also includes $50 million for <br />highway improvements that will support transit needs in the Twin Cities metro area and $5 <br />million for transit programs in Greater Minnesota. <br /> <br /> (more) <br /> <br /> <br />