Bridge to honor Coates soldier killed in Afghanistan

A bridge over U.S. Highway 52 in Coates will be renamed in honor of an Army Ranger killed in action while serving in Afghanistan in July 2009.

Sponsored by Rep. Anna Wills (R-Rosemount) and Sen. Greg Clausen (DFL-Apple Valley), the law will designate the crossing the “Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp Bridge” in honor of the 21-year-old from Coates who was killed in action.

Effective Aug. 1, 2017, the law directs the Department of Transportation to develop signage for the memorial bridge. Funding for the signage is required to come from non-state sources.

HF745*/SF589/CH70

HF0745* / SF0589 / CH70