MnDOT head describes area projects delays

Lack of Transport Bill a setback for area highway

projects

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

ST. PAUL -- While the Minnesota Department of Transportation won't roll to a halt because a transportation funding bill didn't pass in the 2002 Legislature, Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg says the legislative inaction will greatly impact major highway projects, like the U.S. Highway 14 four-lane expansion, in future years.

The commissioner attributed much of the legislative lethargy to legislators' concern that MnDOT still hadn't spent all of the one-time funding granted it in the 2000 transportation funding bill.

"The fact of the matter was that they put that funding on a three-year schedule so we had to have all of that money committed in three years," Tinklenberg said. "That was an intensive effort because, normally, getting any kind of significant project in place takes eight to 12 years to do all the preliminary work and get everything in place. We found some ways to accelerate that delivery schedule, and we're going to deliver those projects in the three years we were given."

That's when the problems will begin as a result of not having a transportation funding bill this year, Tinklenberg said.

"Once that's done, in 2003, there won't be any next generation of projects on the shelf and ready because there is no new funding to make it possible for us to plan the construction of those projects, and that's the real tragedy here," Tinklenberg said.

"There's going to be a huge fall-out once the new money has been spent. In '03, '04 and '05, we'll be back at construction levels that were in place back in '93, a decade ago, because there is just no new money to allow us to plan for these improvements or accelerate the ones that we know need to be done."

Last November, MnDOT gave legislators a list of 50 construction projects that could be accelerated should additional funding for transportation become available.

Three projects on that list involved work to be done on the Highway 14 expansion project between Highway 60 west of Janesville and Owatonna. Two of them were within MnDOT District 7's jurisdiction and the other was presented as a District 6 project.

The District 6 project from Owatonna to near Waseca isn't scheduled for a construction start until 2007. With additional money from a transportation funding bill, MnDOT had moved that start date up to 2004.

The two District 7 projects from Highway 60 to past Waseca could be accelerated one year to 2004 for one project and a start date of 2005-2007 could be compressed to an actual 2005 start date for the other.

"An increase of 5 cents a gallon in gas tax would have meant $7 million in additional construction dollars for the district," Rebecca Arndt, Dist. 7 public affairs director, explained. "All of that money would have gone to the Highway 14 project to accelerate it."

Despite the lack of a 2002 transportation bill, Arndt said work will start this summer, as planned, on the 4.8-mile Highway 14 segment from west of Janesville west to Highway 60, just east of Eagle Lake

She said applying that money to the district's budgeted funds already committed to the project shows that the Highway 14 expansion project is a high priority.

"District Engineer Jon Huseby considers committing $10 million annually to the Highway 14 project 'an aggressive funding plan' as it represents over 26 percent of the district's $38 million annual construction budget," Arndt said.

"When you consider it takes an estimated $26 million a year just to maintain the district's 1,345 miles of state highways, you really start to realize what he means by 'aggressive.'"

While MnDOT did not take a stand as to how much the gas tax should be increased, Tinklenberg said the department did point out the need for a significant increase just to keep pace with inflation.

"The gas tax was increased to 20 cents in 1988, and it has stayed at that level ever since. That's 14 years without an increase," Tinklenberg said. "In today's dollars, that's about 12 and a half cents so it would take about an 8-cent increase to bring it back up to 20 cents in today's dollars."

The lack of a transportation funding bill also threatens MnDOT's ability to obtain federal dollars for high-priority projects, Tinklenberg added. "Most federal funds are tied to state matching so that's going to limit our ability to attract federal funds which is particularly critical for funding our corridor management plans, including Highway 14."

Tinklenberg said MnDOT's "flow-through" program for counties in upgrading road load limits also will be impacted by the Legislature's inaction.