St. Paul, MN- The Minnesota Legislature approved a new transportation budget today. Among the items funded was Rep. Zack Stephenson’s (DFL-Coon Rapids) legislation to take the first steps towards building a new bridge across the Mississippi River between Ramsey and Dayton.
“Everyone in the northwest suburbs knows that a new river crossing is needed, but no progress has been made on this issue for almost 20 years,” Rep. Stephenson remarked. “It is long past time to build this bridge. I am excited that we were able to get the ball rolling this year.”
Rep. Stephenson’s proposal includes approximately $500,000 in funding for a highway corridor and bridge improvement planning study for the new river crossing. This will allow the Minnesota Department of Transportation to study and plan for the new crossing.
“This study will help us identify the steps that need to be taken in order to build the bridge, as well as help move the project up the priority list at MNDOT,” Rep. Stephenson concluded. “We still have a long road ahead of us, but at least now we’ve moving forward.”
The transportation budget, complete with Rep. Stephenson’s legislation, passed both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Walz in the coming days.
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