Two Major Rochester Roads Targeted for Reconstruction

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The City of Rochester is preparing for future reconstruction projects involving two major traffic arteries in the city..

At its meeting on Monday, the Rochester City Council is expected to identify priority projects it will be asking the State Legislature to include in a bonding bill next year. A total of three projects are listed.

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The resolution calls for requesting $3 million in state funding for parking infrastructure upgrades, including solar power panels, at the Rochester Airport. Another request seeks just over $17 million for a major upgrade to the sanitary sewer system in a portion of southeast Rochester, and $5 million is being requested to begin planning for reconstructing Civic Center Drive and a section of South Broadway.

The city has already been awarded $2.5 million through a federal grant to begin planning for the South Broadway project, covering an area running from 4th Street to 9th Street. It was earlier reported that the project could include a new pedestrian walkway over the busy north-south route. The request for state bonding money also cover the roadway between 4th Street and Civic Center Drive.

READ MORE:  $2.5M Grant to Transform South Broadway for Pedestrians & Cyclists

There has been very little public discussion concerning the future of Civic Center Drive. Rochester City Councilmember Shaun Palmer has indicated that any future upgrades to the current divided four-lane roadway could hinge on the ridership of the Link Rapid Bus Transit system along 2nd Street Southwest, where construction on that project is scheduled to begin this summer. City officials are hoping that the mass transit system will alleviate some of the congestion on Civic Center Drive.

At this point, there is no set timeline for either of the roadway reconstruction projects.

Click below to listen to a discussion about Civic Center Drive with Councilmember Palmer.