WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith announced that they have secured more than $26.3 million in federal funding to help construct two railway underpasses along 11th Street in downtown Moorhead. The resources, provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, will address a key infrastructure priority for Moorhead by improving safety and mobility, and removing blockages caused by heavy rail traffic.
“For years I have been working with the City of Moorhead to obtain this funding. We have tried nine times so this is certainly a lesson in perseverance!” said Klobuchar. “This federal funding will enable the long-discussed construction of two 11th Street underpasses, which will strengthen downtown Moorhead’s economy by helping reduce traffic and bolstering safety and mobility. With these new underpasses, Moorhead residents will be able to more easily and conveniently access work, school, and other destinations.”
“Making our infrastructure safer and more efficient is one of the best ways to boost local economies and improve quality of life,” said Smith. “Plans for these two 11th Street underpasses have been stuck on the backburner for far too long, but thanks to the Infrastructure Law we passed last year, we’re finally making progress. These underpasses will help improve the lives of families in Moorhead by reducing traffic congestion and making it safer to get to their jobs, schools, grocery stores and countless other opportunities.”
“The vision for the 11 Street underpass project is becoming reality! This traffic safety and mobility project is a vital component of Downtown Moorhead revitalization. I am so grateful to our congressional delegation and their staff members for their advocacy on Moorhead’s behalf,” said Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson. “We appreciate the resources provided by the US Department of Transportation and our other generous funding partners – the State of Minnesota, MnDOT, Clay County, and BNSF – for making this investment in Moorhead. We look forward to working with project lead MnDOT to build an even better Moorhead.”
Klobuchar and Smith have long pushed for federal support for the Moorhead underpass project, including highlighting its importance in calls with senior administration officials. As a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Klobuchar was a key architect of the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program.
The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program provides communities across the country with funding for local projects that improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas and bolster connectivity, safety, and reliability. The program was created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law last year.
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