Highway 23 Coalition

Two new ramps finished in Highway 23 project on southwest edge of Willmar, Minnesota

October 3, 2023

WILLMAR — The Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced the opening of two of the three new ramps built along state Highway 23 and Kandiyohi County Road 5 as part of the access project in Willmar. Of the three ramps involved in the project, the southwest and northeast ramps opened Sept. 13. Construction has begun on the final ramp on the northwest. A ramp is already in place at the southeast corner of the intersection. Read the full story at the West Central Tribune

Kandiyohi County Board supports a new Highway 23 project near Willmar

November 14, 2022

Kandiyohi County Board supports a new Highway 23 project near Willmar
WILLMAR — As work on the North Gap of the Highway 23 Gaps expansion project has wound down for the winter, members of the Highway 23 Coalition continue to work on their overarching mission. “We’ve been working for quite some time on creating a four-lane, safe Highway 23 corridor from border to border,” said coalition chair Jeff Bertram at the Nov. 1 meeting of the Kandiyohi County Board. Minnesota Highway 23 runs from just west of Luverne to Duluth, approximately 343 miles across

A vision of four lanes from one corner of the state to the other

October 29, 2021

A vision of four lanes from one corner of the state to the other
The Highway 23 Coalition has a vision of a four-lane corridor from the far southwest corner of the state near Luverne all the way up to Hinckley, just before drivers reach the popular North Shore. It is a vision that will require a lot of time, effort and money to make a reality, but it is a job the coalition seems willing to take on. “We want the whole corridor, and we are not going to stop until we get it,” said Donna Boonstra, coalition chair. In Minnesota, there isn’t a complete four-lane

Highway 23 Coalition sets 2019 project goals

February 22, 2019

Highway 23 Coalition sets 2019 project goals
WILLMAR — Building on their success last year to lobby the Minnesota Legislature for money to build two four-lane gaps between Willmar and Interstate 94, the Highway 23 Coalition has set new legislative goals for 2019. The board of directors for the coalition, which is a public-private partnership with more than 100 members that promotes infrastructure improvements on Highway 23, recently identified support for four projects on the Highway 23 corridor. The projects include: Construction of a roundabout

Highway 23 Improvements Moving Ahead

October 19, 2018

Highway 23 Improvements Moving Ahead
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

Highway 23 Coalition seeks broader focus

July 13, 2018

WILLMAR—Even though funding has been secured to complete the final two legs of the Highway 23 four-lane between Willmar and Interstate 94, the coalition of regional businesses and government entities that fought to obtain that funding has no intention of going away. On the contrary, organizers say it’s hoped the 91-member coalition will expand to include community members as far north as Duluth and as far south as Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “Yes, we were able to get funding for the

EDC Hosts Highway 23 Transportation Rally

December 6, 2017

EDC Hosts Highway 23 Transportation Rally
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

Highway 23 Coalition makes pitch to transportation commissioner

October 14, 2017

Highway 23 Coalition makes pitch to transportation commissioner
SPICER—On a bus ride from Paynesville to Spicer, Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Charles Zelle saw trucks hauling wind turbine blades south on Highway 23. Zelle jokingly asked members of the Highway 23 Coalition Friday if they had arranged for those trucks so he could see the need for a four-lane state Highway 23 from Willmar to Interstate 94. The coalition hosted Zelle at a luncheon in Spicer and took him on tours of pending road projects, including the Willmar Wye. Currently, the road has
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