Latest news with #NancyDaubenberger
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
MnDOT announces second round of funds for new EV charging stations, including 1 in Albert Lea
Apr. 29—The Minnesota Department of Transportation on Tuesday announced 12 future locations of new electric vehicle charging stations along interstates 90 and 94 from nearly $10 million in state and federal funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which was part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2021. While the federal NEVI program was recently suspended and its future is uncertain, MnDOT secured $4.5 million for this second round of funds and will provide another $4.7 million in state funding to total $10 million. This funding supports MnDOT's mission to build an EV charging network statewide, especially along important travel and business corridors. An initial round of funding awards was announced in July 2024. "MnDOT remains committed to continuing our work to deliver a high-quality transportation system that meets the needs of Minnesotans. Building an EV charging infrastructure provides greater access to a fast-charging network and continues our progress toward our goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. "While we were disappointed to learn the Trump Administration has chosen to suspend this program, this second round of grants demonstrate we are honoring our commitments and continue to evaluate all options for continuing this important work." Locations selected: * Kwik Trip — Albert Lea * Kwik Trip — Austin * Kwik Trip — Stewartville * Love's Travel Stops — St. Charles * Energy Hunters Minnesota — Barnesville * Francis Energy Charging — Fergus Falls * Love's Travel Stops — Rockville * Kwik Trip — Lake Elmo * Francis Energy Charging — Luverne * Kwik Trip — Worthington * Francis Energy Charging — Jackson * Francis Energy Charging — Blue Earth The new 12 EV charging station locations, and previously announced 12 sites, were selected because they met the following requirements: * Located no more than 50 miles apart along the Alternative Fuel Corridor * Located less than one mile driving distance from an interstate exit * Have a minimum of four 150 kW charging ports able to operate simultaneously * Are open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no entry fee to access the chargers You can find EV charging stations statewide on MnDOT's 511 traveler information website and mobile app by clicking on the EV Charging Stations layer. You can also visit MnDOT's electric vehicle planning website to stay updated on this work and our NEVI website has additional details about the funding.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Road construction in Willmar, Raymond and Svea among MnDOT's 2025 projects
Apr. 3---- Several road construction projects will interrupt the flow of traffic in southwest Minnesota this year, including a two-year concrete resurfacing project on Highway 71 and 23 in Willmar. The announced the 2025 road construction projects on Wednesday, asking travelers to prepare to slow down for construction work zones as road projects begin to ramp up across the state. "With construction projects beginning in the coming weeks statewide, drivers should use caution as they see more work zones, more lane closures and orange cones — and most importantly more workers wearing their high-safety gear along the highway," said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. "We're all safer when we pay close attention, slow down, remain patient and work together to safely share the limited space in a work zone." There are nearly 180 road construction projects planned this season to help maintain and improve Minnesota's roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure; improve safety and mobility; and support jobs that will be worked on statewide. There are an additional 51 projects that will improve airports, water ports, railroad crossings and transit infrastructure. The $20.9 million is expected to begin in the late summer of 2025 and be completed in 2026. It will take place in three stages. The benefits of the project will provide a smoother road surface, extend the life of the roadway, improve drainage and enhance safety, according to MnDOT. The plan is to resurface the Highway 23 Willmar bypass from Kandiyohi County Road 5 to the southwest junction of Highway 71 and Business 71, as well as resurfacing the southbound lanes of the Highway 71/23 Willmar bypass from the southwest junction of Business Highway 71 to the northeast junction of Business Highway 71. The existing asphalt will be replaced with concrete pavement, existing guardrails will be updated and drainage will be improved. The first stage of the project is from the western limits to the Highway 71 interchange, the second stage is the Highway 71 interchange and the third stage is the Highway 71 interchange to the eastern limits of the project during which the Willmar Avenue ramps will be closed. The traffic impacts of the project will include traffic control measures consisting of construction staging, lane crossovers, temporary ramp accesses and closures and a detour for the section of the project west of the Highway 71 overpass. Another significant project that will take place in 2025 in Willmar is the into the Willmar Industrial Park. The cost of the project is estimated to be $900,000; it was selected to receive funding from the Transportation Economic Development Program to connect Minnesota Highway 40 to the Willmar Industrial Park due to the construction of the Willmar Rail Park. That program specifically targets transportation improvements that will lead to measurable economic benefits. For a project to be eligible, it must contribute to job creation or retention or another measurable economic benefit. A left- and right-turn lane will be constructed on Highway 40 from 1,300 feet east of County Road 55 to 1,400 feet west of County Road 5 in order to improve traffic movement through the intersection and enhance safety. The project will require a detour using County Road 5, U.S. Highway 12 and County Road 55 that will be in place for approximately one month. A of a left-turn lane on Highway 23 at Kandiyohi County Road 1 near Raymond, and the construction of a left-turn lane at the intersection of Highway 71 and County Road 3 near Svea, is expected to begin April 14, 2025, and be completed by June 28, 2025, depending on weather. The Raymond project was estimated to cost $1.64 million and the Svea project was estimated to cost $2.42 million, according to earlier information from MnDOT. However, construction bids came in lower than expected and the total project cost is now estimated to be approximately $2.18 million. The projects will enhance safety and provide space for left-turning vehicles at the intersections. During the Raymond project, a detour will be in place for vehicles to take Highway 23 to County Road 5 to County Road 3 to 135th Street and back to Highway 23. A detour for trucks will take them from Highway 23 to County Road 5 to Minnesota Highway 7 and back to Highway 23. During the Svea project, a detour will be in place taking traffic from Highway 71 to Highway 23 to County Road 5 to Highway 7 and back to Highway 71. A major $25.7 million project will take place in Marshall from 700 feet west of Marlene Street to the intersection of Bruce Street. The city of Marshall will be replacing aging utilities as part of the project and a single-lane roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Highway 19/College Drive, Country Club Drive and South Second Street. The project also includes the installation of an electric vehicle charging station in the Avera parking lot, sidewalk improvements and the striping of a bike lane from Marlene Street to just west of Fairgrounds Road. The project is expected to take two years and will be completed in stages to minimize travel disruptions. Two estimated to cost $1.5 million are planned on Highway 23 north of Marshall crossing the Redwood River and Threemile Creek near Green Valley. Construction is expected to begin May 12 and the bridges will be resurfaced at the same time. Traffic is expected to be detoured for approximately one month. Finally, the second stretch of a $9.5 million will take place in 2025 from Dassel to Cokato. The Litchfield-to-Dassel resurfacing project was completed in 2024. The project consists of repairing the concrete and replacing the asphalt shoulders and upgrading sidewalks and pedestrian ramps. Highway 12 from Dassel to Cokato will be closed during the project and traffic will be routed to Highway 15 and County Roads 21 and 3. When approaching a work zone, motorists should be prepared to encounter traffic changes, including lane closures, lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, slow-moving heavy equipment and slow or stopped traffic. When entering a work zone, drivers must obey posted speed limits, practice undistracted driving, move over to give room for construction workers, be patient, use the zipper merge, avoid making unnecessary lane changes and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones. It is also important that drivers know the traffic and road conditions before they travel, which can be found at or by using the free 511mn smartphone app available on Google Play or the App Store. Travelers can also visit , which includes interactive maps linking to more detailed construction project websites, or sign up for project email updates and other specific topics.
Axios
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Road construction projects to watch in 2025
Sorry, Minnesota drivers. Winter is over, and the orange cones cometh. The big picture: The Minnesota Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced the start of road construction season, with nearly 180 projects kicking off to shore up the state's roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure. Driving the news: The season starts with a bang late Friday in the heart of the Twin Cities, with all eastbound lanes of the Interstate 94 bridge linking Minneapolis to St. Paul set to shut down all weekend. The partial closure lasts through early Monday, but the project will reduce this section of I-94 to two lanes through fall. What we're watching: Hang in there, Bloomington, Richfield, Edina — and, really, anyone who takes I-494 to MSP Airport. From April 28 through November, maintenance work on the I-494 bridge over the Minnesota River will close one lane in both directions. Immediately to the west, another sprawling 494 project that will add E-ZPass lanes, a new I-35W interchange and replace or repair several overpasses enters year three of four. What they're saying:"Drivers should use caution as they see more work zones, more lane closures and orange cones — and most importantly more workers wearing their high-visibility safety gear along the highway," MnDOT commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said in a statement. Here are a few more major projects to watch for: 😏 North Shore-goers, good news! Only one year left on that bridge replacement project on I-35 in Hinckley! The bad news: That year is this year. Pack a stress ball. 🖖 South metro commuters: I-35W will be resurfaced between the Burnsville Split and the Minnesota River. 🌉 I-394 from downtown Minneapolis to Highway 100 will see lane and ramp closures as crews repair 34 bridges. The pain ramps up in August when crews plan to close 394's E-ZPass lanes for roughly two months. 🦝 Coon Rapids drivers will see ramp closures as crews add a third lane in each direction to Highway 10. on St. Paul's East Side is closed through early summer for the first half of a two-year reconstruction project. Elsewhere in the city, work on 10 bridges over I-94 and I-35E will begin this spring, and a project on the John Ireland Boulevard bridge near the State Capitol will launch after the Twin Cities Marathon in October.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
MnDOT announces winners of Name a Snowplow contest
Feb. 12—We're Off To See The Blizzard and Anthony Sledwards join the Minnesota Department of Transportations' snowplow fleet as two of the eight winners in the 2024-25 Name a Snowplow contest. Governor Tim Walz joined MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger to announce the winning names today. Nearly 23,500 voters cast a ballot in this year's contest. The winning names, in order of vote totals, and their future homes are: * We're Off To See The Blizzard — District 8 (Southwest Minnesota) * Snowtorious B.I.G. — District 4 (West Central Minnesota) * Plowabunga! — District 6 (Southeast Minnesota) * Anthony Sledwards — Metro District (Twin Cities) * You're Welcome — District 2 (Northwest Minnesota) * Don'tcha Snow — District 3 (Central Minnesota) * Skol Plow — District 1 (Northeast Minnesota) * I Came, I Thaw, I Conquered — District 7 (South Central Minnesota) The order of all 50 finalists can be found on MnDOT's Name a Snowplow website. "Anthony Sledwards is officially ready for Minnesota winter," said Governor Walz. "And let's remember it's not just the plows, but the 1,600 Minnesota snowplow drivers who keep us safe and our roads cleared all winter long. A big thank you to those drivers and the Minnesotans who continue to demonstrate unrivaled creativity in naming our snowplows!" "Each season we have so much fun selecting new and creative snowplow names, but this contest is also a great way to highlight the hard work of our snowplow drivers and keep them safe," said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. "Please slow down and give our snowplow drivers plenty of space to clear roads safely every time it snows." MnDOT invited people to submit creative snowplow name ideas in December 2024 and received more than 7,300 submissions; most suggestions were submitted multiple times by multiple people. Agency staff narrowed the list to 50 finalists for the public to vote on. This is the fifth year that MnDOT has hosted the Name a Snowplow contest. Statewide, MnDOT now has 44 named snowplows, including Plowy McPlowFace, Betty Whiteout, and Taylor Drift. In addition to the 40 named snowplows selected through the annual Name a Snowplow contests, MnDOT staff have also helped to name four additional snowplows statewide in acknowledgement of highways the state plows adjacent to tribal lands.
CBS News
12-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Watch live: Officials announce winners of MnDOT's Name a Snowplow contest
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Officials on Wednesday morning will announce the winners of this year's Name a Snowplow contest. Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger will reveal the winning names at an 11 a.m. news conference. They'll announce eight winners — one for each MnDOT district. How to watch More than 7,300 names were submitted for this year's contest and the list was shortened to 50 finalists last month. This is the fifth year of the state agency's contest, which allows the public to name a plow in each of the agency's eight districts across the state. Winning names of previous years include Taylor Drift, Dolly Plowton, Plowy McPlowFace, Darth Blader and Blizzard of Oz. Note: The above video first aired on Dec. 10, 2024.
