Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

Feds deliver on promised money to help traffic flow

by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio

The nation's top transportation official wants to make sure Minnesotans know that federal funding is on the way to relieve Twin Cities' congestion.

Bloomington, Minn. — Transportation Secretary Mary Peters was in Bloomington to make what her office billed as a major funding announcement.

But Peters essentially re-announced last summer's news that Minnesota is getting more than $133 million through a federal Urban Partnership Agreement program, to reduce congestion along Interstate 35W.

Peters say the money will help the state improve traffic flow between downtown Minneapolis and the southern suburbs with 26 new express service buses.

"With gas costing what it does today, any time you can make it easier to use an efficient transit system you're not just cutting traffic, you're saving families real money, and you're improving the environment while you're doing it," said Peters.

The I-35W project will also add special toll lanes that use the MnPASS system currently in place on I-394.