November 17, 2021 – Shakopee, Minnesota: Today, Scott County Commissioners, the City of Jordan, and everyone who travels through the Jordan area were met with welcome news from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the office of U.S. Representative Angie Craig, and the offices of U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith: The much-needed and long-awaited interchange at Trunk Highway (TH)169/TH282/County Highway (CH)9 will be the recipient of $8 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funding from the federal government.
“The benefits of this project will ripple far beyond Scott County, particularly for rural portions of my district that rely on this corridor to transport their products and agricultural commodities to market,” said Representative Craig. “I am grateful for the tireless work of my local partners in Scott County, the City of Jordan, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, particularly Commissioner Barb Weckman Brekke, Mayor Mike Franklin and Highway 169 Corridor Coalition Chair Kevin Burkart.”
The 169/282/9 interchange project has been in the research and planning stages for over 20 years. Now slated for programming in 2025, the construction of this new interchange will remove the last signalized intersection on 169 in the southwest metro area, which will ease congestion and bottlenecking through this highly traveled area.
“Improving public safety and enhancing the efficient movement of people and goods throughout this region have always been two of our most significant priorities,” said Scott County Board Chair Jon Ulrich. “This federal grant funding is essential to moving this project forward and helping us realize that goal.”
According to the U.S. DOT, projects considered for RAISE funding were evaluated on highly competitive merit criteria that included safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, innovation, and partnership. Given how essential TH169 is in providing key freight connections, the expected increase in travel through the region, and the considerable amount of truck traffic on this corridor, this project will amply demonstrate how these investments can enhance economic development, public safety, flood resilience, and quality of life for area residents.
“Highway 169 has evolved from a sleepy country highway to a major thoroughfare for commerce connecting our agricultural heartland with the ports of Savage and the Twin Cities marketplace. Our infrastructure needs to evolve with it,” said Jordan Mayor Mike Franklin. ”With this investment, we’re will get this project done once and for all.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased that our Congressional representatives helped secure this funding,” said Commissioner Barb Weckman Brekke, who represents the City of Jordan and its surrounding areas on the Scott County Board. “Our residents, businesses, and visitors will certainly see the benefit of this investment for generations, and our partnership with the City has been absolutely invaluable in this effort.”