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MnDOT district presents post-flood recovery work, 10-year plan and local projects for Nicollet County
Summary
MnDOT District 7 engineers briefed Nicollet County commissioners on flood response work, system conditions and a 10-year/4-year investment plan; staff described $140 million in 2024 projects in the district and said recent legislative funding could add roughly $5 billion over 20 years.
Greg Ose, district engineer for MnDOT District 7, told the Nicollet County Board that the department’s response to recent flooding included dozens of detours and wide coordination with local officials and county staff. "At one point, we had 28 detours off of the trunk highway system throughout the counties," Ose said, and he reported there were no recordable crashes during the response.
Ose and MnDOT planning staff outlined the district’s asset inventory — roughly 32,100 lane miles across 13 counties, about 571 interstate miles and 88 bridges in the I‑90 corridor — and described performance goals for pavement and bridge condition indices. The presentation stressed that the department balances pavement, bridge and pedestrian investments using the STIP (Statewide Transportation Improvement Program) and a more optimistic CHIP (construction‑needs) plan.
On revenue, MnDOT staff said the 2023 legislative package is expected to increase available funding over the long term. "Over that 20 year period, though, we do anticipate a $5,000,000,000 increase," a staff slide stated. District staff noted that additional revenues will phase in over 2024–26 and could change program priorities.
Local projects of interest to the board included a near‑complete $1,680,000 mill-and-overlay and preventative work on the US‑14 bridge over the Minnesota River, two years of the Faribault County I‑90 unbonded overlay, and portions of MN‑169 and MN‑22 that will be delivered over multiple years. Staff also flagged roundabout projects programmed in Nicollet County for 2026 and a $24,000,000 long‑term pavement treatment for I‑90 in Nobles County planned for 2029.
On multimodal facilities, MnDOT staff said current projects have provided the right‑of‑way and hydraulic work for a future shared‑use path alongside Highway 22 but that paving the multiuse surface itself "has no funding at this time." The department said the DNR provided a culvert crossing valued at about $4,000,000 and that final paving would require additional grant or local investment.
Why it matters: the briefing gave commissioners a technical review of assets and projects affecting local detours, bridge safety and long‑range pavement condition. MnDOT staff invited county partners to identify local concerns so the district can coordinate on scoping and grant opportunities.
The meeting moved on after brief commissioner discussion and questions about local detour performance and pedestrian path funding.
