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Paulsen Praises Conditional Approval for Construction of 494/169 Interchange
11/11/09Paulsen Praises Conditional Approval for Construction of 494/169 Interchange
Federal Highway Administration has Notified MnDOT Phased-Build Approach Conditionally Approved to Move Forward
Eden Prairie – Congressman Erik Paulsen today praised the recent decision that could allow the long-sought 494/169 interchange project to finally move forward. The Federal Highway Administration has notified the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) that they were granting conditional approval for a proposal to construct the interchange via a performance based design. Paulsen has long advocated on behalf of the construction project, which was previously stalled as a result of restrictions that prevented MnDOT’s design to move forward with federal assistance.
“The 494/169 interchange is a critical project for the 3rd District, as well as the entire metro area,” Paulsen said. “Unfortunately, the project was in a holding pattern over the last several months as differing design proposals were being sorted out at the federal level. The approval to move forward with MnDOT’s plan is a serious step toward completing this interchange and I’m eager to continue working on this critical project.”
Earlier this year, Paulsen and Congressman John Kline sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking that the Federal Highway Administration accept MnDOT’s proposal for construction of the new interchange in order to move the project forward. Paulsen also spoke directly with Secretary LaHood to advocate on behalf of the project.
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