WILLMAR — At the end of the old Willmar Municipal Airport runway Tuesday afternoon, golden shovels manned by federal, state and local dignitaries dug out the first few piles of dirt in the Willmar Wye railroad project.
“It has been a long journey for many of us and we have accomplished a lot of things with it already,” said Jon Huseby, Minnesota Department of Transportation district engineer for District 8, based in Willmar.
The Willmar Rail Connector and Industrial Access Project,
On May 30th, Governor Dayton signed the bill approved by the Minnesota Legislature providing $105 million in Corridors of Commerce funding for both four-lane gaps on Highway 23 between Willmar and Interstate 94. The Highway 23 Coalition worked very hard to encourage passage and the signing of the bonding bill that included road funding and other important projects in this region. The Coalition, which now boasts 94 members including 64 businesses and 21 units of government, will continue to hold the
During the past year and a half, Kwik Trip, based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has transformed several locations in Willmar into brand new gas stations and convenience stores. In doing so, it has significantly redeveloped two sites and is planning on a third location. On U.S. Highway 12 on the east side of Willmar, the company acquired the former Cenex Travel Plaza and an adjacent parcel of land. That enabled Kwik Trip to demolish the existing structures and to construct an 8,800 sq. ft. facility with
WILLMAR — Looks like the Highway 23 four-lane project between New London and Interstate 94 may get funded after all.
As part of the bonding bill that was finalized this weekend, the Legislature added $400 million to the state’s Corridors of Commerce program and put the state Highway 23 project on this list to be completed, said Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City.
Highway 23 was one of three highway projects selected to receive the new money, along with highways 14 and 252.
“Highway
The fishing agreement of Green Lake—for funding support for the Highway 23 gap projects—lasted apparently about as long as it took for the Minnesota political leaders to get out of Kandiyohi County Saturday.
Willmar Lakes Area Governor’s Fishing Opener Host Kelly Morrell won an informal pledge Saturday from Gov. Mark Dayton, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, and House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, for funding for completing the 7-mile and 9-miles two-lane gaps on state Highway
In May of 2017 a group of over 30 interested people, including business and government leaders, met in New London to discuss the need to finish the four-lane gaps on Highway 23, formalize the Highway 23 Coalition and elect officers. Since that time, the Coalition has incorporated, established a budget and the full membership elected a nine-member Board of Directors. Currently, there are more than 60 committed members of the Coalition, including 16 units of government, nearly 40 businesses and
WILLMAR—After months of study, discussion and input from the public, the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to proceed with a local option sales tax to fund designated transportation projects.
The tax will generate an estimated $2.7 million a year that will be used to pay for four projects totaling $13 million over four and a half years.
Consumers will start to see the half-cent local tax when it takes effect April 1 of next year.
The County Commissioners said Tuesday that
WILLMAR—A loose-knit coalition of local transportation advocates may soon be reinvented—and reignited—in its mission to complete a four-lane route between Willmar and St. Cloud.
The group has been lobbying for decades to make state Highway 23 a four-lane link to Interstate 94.
Aaron Backman, executive director of the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission, wants to broaden that coalition to bring in more community partners and give the group more structure that
