Senator Amy Klobuchar visited Wabasha Thursday and met with Mayor Emily Durand, Port Authority President John Friedmeyer, and City Administrator Caroline Gregerson to learn about the need for the re-alignment of Highway 60, workforce challenges, and the potential to create new housing and business opportunities in Wabasha.
The City of Wabasha is asking for a total of $8.6 million in both federal congressionally-directed spending requests and state bonding funds to re-route Highway 60 through the current athletic field and more directly out of town.
Mayor Durand says this would mean dangerous semi-traffic could be routed away from residential neighborhoods and address a problematic intersection.
Durand says plans to move the athletic fields are already underway and they will be moved this year and re-built near City Hall.
Durand says phase two of the project will be to develop housing and commercial in the area around the new road.
Klobuchar stated her support for the project after hearing from city official and seeing first-hand the situation. Depiction of new road
Wabasha is also seeking state-wide support for the project. Representative Altendorf and Senator Drazkowski have both sponsored bills to support their funding request and Durand was scheduled to testify at a Senate Transportation Committee hearing Monday.
Comments