PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Thursday, March 13, 2008

Contact: Noel LaBine 763-477-3086

Wright County Partnership holds luncheon seminar
at Albertville City Hall on March 6, 2008

 

The Wright County Economic Development Partnership held a noon Luncheon Seminar on Transportation improvement plans for Wright County at the Albertville City Hall on Thursday, March 16 th .

The keynote speakers were Jim Povish and Claudia Dumont, both engineers from MN DOT District # 3, and Wayne Fingalson, Wright County engineer. The topic was “Transportation Improvements & Development in Wright County for 2008”. SRF Consulting and WSB & Associates were the Sponsors for the event.

Craig Robinson, a project manager with MN DOT District #3, also presented and talked about work on the Highway 101 improvements in Otsego, which should be completed in mid-2008. Robinson also explained that surveys and studies are being done for the Elk River segment of the Highway 169, which will someday also be a super highway system.

Jim Povish, the manager for the District #3 area, had a lot of say about the new gas tax law and the effect that will have on an increase in the completion of planned maintenance and bridge safety. However, he repeated in several ways that the amount of funds available for maintenance and repair projects may have doubled, but the backlog will now be about ten years for completion instead of 20 years.

Claudia Dumont is the senior project manager for MN DOT District #3, and she commented on projects throughout Wright County including the Highway 12 corridor and bridge update in Delano . Also, she discussed the freeway bridge replacement on I-94 on the East side of Monticello , which is planned for 2009. Except for the Highway 12 upgrade in Delano, all other projects will occur in the future depending on when additional funding may be appropriated. Remember, the additional gas tax funds will just go for repair and maintenance.

Wayne Fingalson, Wright County Engineer, described the county's commitment to continual improvements to Wright county highways. The county now has an annual budget of $7.5 million for highway and bridge improvements. Some of the priorities for 2008 include the completion of the County Road # 19 improvement between Albertville and St. Michael. Also, the right of way pairs on West # 241 and the East part of County Road #35 in St. Michael will be constructed this year. Expectations for some cost sharing of a light controlled intersection at the Highway 55 and County Road #134 intersection, will delay this project until the financing has been acquired. The resurfacing of #17 south of Delano has to occur this year, because of the funding stream. A question about the wisdom of doing that when the Delano Highway #12 bridge is out was brought up, and the answer was that it has to be done this year in order to get the cost-share financing.

About 47 people showed up to the event in Albertville on the 6 th , which included development professionals, engineers and other community leaders. The Wright County Partnership's Noon Luncheon Seminars are a great place to network with community leaders from Wright County and get first-hand information about various development activities. The discussions held at these events have been very valuable to developers, city representatives, and others.

More events are being planned for future months including a county government update on April 16 th .