Roads Bridges Broadband: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill would spend billions on Minnesota improvements

WASHINGTON, Minn. (KEYC) - Nineteen Republicans joined Senate Democrats in passing a nearly $1 trillion dollar national infrastructure package.

“After years and years of infrastructure week, we’re on the cusp of an infrastructure decade,” said President Joe Biden.

Minnesota’s senators say the legislation would bring billions of dollars of overdue investment to the state’s roads, bridges and broadband infrastructure.

Minnesota expects to receive at least $4.5 billion for highways, $820 million for public transportation, $304 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $68 million for electric vehicle charging stations and over $100 million for improving broadband.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Mn-D), a longtime advocate for investing in Minnesota’s broadband infrastructure, says the bill will improve rural broadband across the state.

“My piece of it is the high-speed internet, over $60 billion dollars to hook up those 144 thousand households and most important areas where people may be visiting or driving around that don’t have it right now,” said Klobuchar.

Klobuchar also touches on the bill’s effects locally.

“Making sure that we have strong freight rail and ports and dams...ways to get our goods to market from the Mankato region which is such a major producer of Ag products and manufacturing,” said Klobuchar.

According to the White House, in Minnesota, there are over 600 bridges and nearly 5,000 miles of highway in poor condition.

In addition, the package also addresses water infrastructure as well as upgrading the electricity grid nationwide.

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