Minnesota’s Freight, By the Numbers:
• 814 Miles of Interstate.
• 10,891 Miles of U.S. and State Highways.
• 4,534 Miles of Rail Lines.
• 14 Cargo-Handling Airports.
• 20,000+ miles of pipelines.
• 7 Ports on Lake Superior and the Mississippi River.
• 40.5% of Minnesota’s Employment Industries are directly related to freight.
The 147-page plan (download below) is a “federally required effort that envisions the future of the Minnesota freight transportation system over the next 20 years,” MnDOT reported. “The State Freight Plan must cover a five-year forecast period, be fiscally constrained, include a freight investment plan with a list of priority projects, and describe how the state will invest and match its National Highway Freight Program Funds.” The Department noted that it considers all types of modes and freight facilities and how they impact broader transportation conditions throughout the state, including freight trains, railroads and rail yards; trucks, roadways and truck stops; cargo ships, waterways and waterway ports; cargo planes and airports; pipelines; and multiple modes of freight.
According to MnDOT, it has worked with public, nonprofit, and private partners across various industry sectors to identify future investments “to better connect future freight investments with key freight bottlenecks, first- and last-mile connections, safety improvements, and intermodal sites.” The investments total $255 million over the 20-year period.
Comments are due Sept. 18 and may be submitted via email (FreightPlans.DOT@state.mn.us) or mail: Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations, Attn: Andrew Andrusko, Minnesota Department of Transportation, 395 John Ireland Blvd., MS 050, Saint Paul, MN 55155.
