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Omnibus spending bill includes millions for MN projects
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Thursday, 10 December 2009
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Twenty-two Minnesota projects will receive nearly $30 million in funding from an appropriations bill that won final approval from the U.S. House of Representatives today (Dec. 10). The appropriations bill includes the following local projects:
- $1.2 million for the Isanti pedestrian bridge project, planned to safely take foot traffic over Hwy. 65 south of Co. Rd. 5.
- $500,000 for the Northern Lights Express project, planned to restore passenger rail service to the Duluth-Minneapolis corridor.
- $400,000 for the Cambridge-Isanti Bike-Walk Trail, the long-anticipated, recreational pathway planned to parallel the BNSF rail line in connecting Isanti and Cambridge.
The omnibus spending bill funds nine government agencies in fiscal year 2010. Earlier this year, the House passed individual appropriations bills to fund these agencies; however, the Senate consolidated the appropriations legislation into one bill so it would have more time to focus on health care legislation.
“This bill includes funding for many important programs in Northeast Minnesota,” said Congressman Jim Oberstar, who advocated for many of the Minnesota projects and programs in the bill. “We will be creating new jobs, investing in law enforcement and public safety in our communities and funding important research programs. We will see returns on these investments for many years to come.”
Other Minnesota programs included in the appropriations bill:
• $600,000 for Twin Cities-to-Twin Ports trail linkage.
• $3 million for Northstar Phase II—extension of Northstar rail to the St. Cloud area.
• $97,400 for Northstar Phase II—commuter buses.
• $711,661 for Northstar Corridor Rail, from Minneapolis to Big Lake.
• $2 million for the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project.
• $730,500 for Park Rapids street and utility reconstruction of Main Avenue.
• $450,000 for the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute, MNIWI.
• $500,000 for the Northeast Law Enforcement Administrators Council’s meth reduction project.
• $35,000 for the Gilbert, Minn., Integrated Radio System.
• $500,000 for the Itasca County 9-11 Radio System.
• $500,000 for the St. Louis County Sheriff Regional Interoperability Data System project.
• $100,000 for 9th Judicial District Koochiching County DUI/Substance Abuse Court.
• $240,000 for Minnesota State Patrol—8th District Patrol in-squad digital cameras.
• $200,000 for the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund—Greenstone Group.
• $200,000 for Lake Superior College—Aviation certification and degree program.
• $550,000 for College of St. Scholastica—Rural Health Technology project.
• $500,000 for Range Regional Health Services—Pulmonary Center of Excellence.
• $15,000,000 for Duluth International Airport—jet fuel storage complex.
• $1,710,000 for Camp Ripley—Urban Assault course.
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