MnDOT announces $250M available in Corridors of Commerce funding

Release from Minnesota Department of Transportation:

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Cities, counties, Tribal Governments, and other qualified organizations in Minnesota are encouraged to offer recommendations for Corridors of Commerce funds to improve local transportation infrastructure through projects that support economic development, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced today.

A total of $250 million in funding is available statewide during this Corridors of Commerce program solicitation. Bonds approved during the 2021 legislative session will provide $200 million, and MnDOT will use an additional $50 million in trunk highway funds for these projects.

Each entity may submit one project and recommendations must meet certain requirements and include a detailed construction cost estimate. The deadline to submit recommendations is Nov. 30, 2022. Details are available on MnDOT’s Corridors of Commerce website.

In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature created the Corridors of Commerce program (Minnesota Statute 161.088), authorizing the sale of new highway bonds for the construction, reconstruction and improvement of trunk highways for projects not already in the State Transportation Improvement program.

To be considered for Corridors of Commerce funding, project recommendations must either develop additional system capacity, improve movement for freight, or reduce barriers to commerce. Each recommendation will be evaluated and scored during the selection process. MnDOT will announce selected projects in May 2023.

A complete list of projects funded through previous Corridors of Commerce solicitations can be found on the program history website.