Wabasha Representatives Roundtable

U.S. Representative Brad Finstad and U.S. Representative Pete Stauber visited Wabasha last Wednesday for a roundtable discussion with city and county officials, public works professionals to learn about local transportation needs.

There was discussion about the rising cost of roads and the need to improve federal and state permitting processes to make it easier to access funding and build local infrastructure.

Wabasha County Highway Department Engineer, Dietrich Flesch, shared that 40% of the County’s asphalt surfaced roads are 20 years or older, and reaching the end of their expected life.

Wabasha Public Works Director Tony Johnson explained that the rising costs to build roads over his tenure with the City has made it difficult to keep up with the maintenance needs.

Mayor Emily Durand and Administrator Caroline Gregerson were also to able to share updates on the Highway 60 Re-Alignment project, which was funded through funding secured through Representative Finstad and Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.