In today’s stories, Mankato Regional Airport receives an award amid funding issues. Then, construction season begins on state roads, what Minnesota’s drivers need to know. And new mining regulations may impact the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: In today's stories, Mankato Regional Airport receives an award amid funding issues. Then, construction season begins on state roads, what Minnesota's drivers need to know. And new mining regulations may impact the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I'm Gracie J.
Minnesota has another award-winning airport. The Mankato Regional Airport received the 2024 Outstanding Airport Planning, Environment, and Strategic Initiative Award in April. The city received the award for its air traffic control studies and environmental assessments. Despite winning the award, the Mankato Airport has not received its full federal funding for a new air traffic control center. The project may not move forward without the funding.
Coming up, if you've been on the roads recently, you've probably noticed construction is creating a lot more congestion. Reporter Jamad Jama talks to officials about some of the bigger projects around the state.
Jamad Jama: The beginning of summer in Minnesota means the construction season is starting, and with nearly 180 road construction projects planned in 2025, Minnesota's Department of Transportation, or MnDOT's goal is to maintain and improve roads across the state.
Matt Fleshman: It feels like the construction is never really gonna end around here either. I live in downtown St Paul.
Jamad Jama: And if you've driven on I-94 you've probably noticed longer traffic times and detours.
Matt Fleshman: I think I definitely just have to budget in way more time. I add, like 20-30, minutes sometimes, just in case.
Jamad Jama: For Minnesotans like Matt Fleshman, the ongoing construction impacts daily life and reshapes routines.
Matt Fleshman: So I live on the corner of Seventh Street and Robert Street. Seventh Street has construction on it and Robert Street has construction on it. I have to take Robert Street to get on to I-94 then there's stuff on 94 then I make it through there, and then I'm just super stressed by the time I get to like, whatever I'm trying to do.
Jamad Jama: This summer, one of MNDOT's many projects involved repairing bridge and pavement sections along stretches of I-94.
Kent Barnard: The five bridges are the interstate 94 Dartmouth Bridge, and then we've got the Riverside Avenue Bridge to I-94 over Cedar Avenue. Then I-94 over the light rail transit, and then finally, I-94 over Highway 55.
Jamad Jama: Kent Barnard, a public affairs specialist for MnDOT, also made it clear that while construction creates delays, road work is a necessary part of preserving our highways.
Matt Fleshman: We're doing the work out there to keep the roads safe and passable for motorists. We're out there. We're going to work as quickly as we can to get the roads repaired and back open for people to drive on.
Jamad Jama: Similarly, Jenny Seelen, a representative from MnDOT Central Minnesota Communications Team, says that drivers headed northwest of the metro will be navigating construction in Albertville and Monticello.
Jenny Seelen: The I-94 gap project is between Albertville and Monticello, and it is a project to reconstruct the pavement as well as expand it one lane. They're going to add a third lane from County Road 37 in Albertville to west of highway 25 in Monticello.
Jamad Jama: Along the North Shore, motorists can expect single lane traffic through Highway 61 tunnels Monday through Thursday until November. Drivers in the Duluth area and Pine County will encounter bridge construction along Interstate 35. Construction will also impact use of Interstate 90 in Austin through August, and across Olmsted County through November. And if you're traveling on Highway 22 between Mankato and St Peter, expect to be rerouted to Highway 169. And as Kent Barnard reminds us--
Kent Barnard: Road maintenance and road construction, bridge maintenance, bridge construction, are just a fact of life.
Jamad Jama: To learn more about closures, delays and other traffic updates, Minnesotans can visit 511mn.org. For North Star Stories, I'm Jamad Jama.
Anchor: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Companies may be able to start mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area after being prohibited from doing so for twenty years. A bill Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber introduced, that would clear the way for copper-nickel mining, is making its way through Congress. Meanwhile, President Trump is also trying to fast-track mining for precious metals in Northern Minnesota. Stauber's proposed legislation would also block environmental groups and tribes from suing to stop any mining. While the federal government will likely approve mining near the Boundary Waters, the state would also have to allow it.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.