MnDOT requests bonds for failing railroad signals and port projects as federal grant uncertainty grows

Taylor Besser Frederick, assistant budget director at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and Eric Rudin of MnDOT government affairs told the Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 18 that the governor's 2025 capital recommendations include two MnDOT requests: $1,800,000 in general obligation (GO) bonds for highway‑railroad crossing warning devices and $2,800,000 in GO bonds for the Port Development Assistance program.

MnDOT said the crossing devices—signal arms and associated electronics—are critical to public safety and that roughly 750 signal systems are past their life cycle; MnDOT staff estimated the total replacement cost for all crossings to exceed $300,000,000. "The reliability of these gates is critical for public safety," Frederick said. MnDOT received $3,600,000 in GO bonds for this program in 2023, the agency said.

On ports, Rudin listed five publicly eligible Minnesota…