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Special session bonding deal directs $42 million to local road improvements and $20 million to local bridges
Summary
MICA officials said the special session produced a bonding bill that exceeded expectations and included new funding targeted at local road improvement, local bridges and additional wetland replacement credits for county projects.
Amber Backus and other MICA staff told Crow Wing County commissioners on June 17 that the special‑session bonding agreement delivered more local infrastructure money than many had expected.
Backus said the agreement included $42 million for the local road improvement program, $20 million for local bridges and additional funding for the local government road wetland replacement program. The funding came after days of closed‑door negotiations and partisan give‑and‑take in the special session; MICA officials described the result as exceeding initial expectations for the biennium.
Why it matters: counties with projects awaiting state capital dollars — local bridges, road reconstruction and wetland mitigation credits used for permitting and construction — gained dedicated funding. Backus said this was “great news” for counties and that it exceeded initial proposals that had offered far less for local bridges and road programs.
Details and context: the special session bonding package followed an agreement negotiated around other special session items. Because bonding requires supermajorities in both chambers, the presence of buy‑in from legislative leaders was crucial. Backus and her colleagues said some allocations (for example, additional money for the wetland replacement program) were inserted to address an immediate shortage of mitigation credits that threatened road projects across Greater Minnesota.
Next steps: MICA staff recommended counties continue coordinating with their MnDOT district engineers and the Board of Water and Soil Resources to position projects for competitive funding and to note bonding timelines for local project schedules.
