BLAINE, Minn. — A stretch of Highway 65 in Blaine between 99th Avenue and 117th Avenue carries 60,000 vehicles a day and has a crash rate eight times higher than the state average. That’s why local leaders have spent many years putting together the Thrive on 65 corridor improvement project.
One need only go back to Tuesday to see the most recent one. A speeding car slid through the intersection of Highway 65 and 109th Avenue, striking four other cars before coming to a stop.
"If you've driven this highway, if you've been on this highway during rush hour or either end of a rush hour, it is awful! And it's time that it get fixed," Sixth District Congressman Tom Emmer told reporters Friday.
The Republican U.S. House Majority Whip was invited to Blaine by city and county leaders who wanted to thank him for securing the final $4 million needed to replace the at-grade intersection at Highway 65 and 117th street with a modern overpass.
"It is such an honor to stand here collectively with this kind of a win for our residents, for our visitors. It is truly remarkable," Blaine Mayor Tim Sanders told the crowd that sat beneath a canopy near that intersection.
The project will replace at-grade four intersections with bridges and add pedestrian and bike lanes. The $200 million price tag will be picked up with $53 million in federal money and $146 million in state money.
Emmer thanked local leaders and legislators in the area for their determination to bring the Highway 65 makeover into reality. He also gave a shoutout to U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, for her efforts to lock in funding for the project.
"This project is a testament to the power of collaboration," Emmer remarked.
Emmer said the word "earmark" got a bad rap years ago in a time of extreme pork barrel politics, citing the “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska. But he defends the practice of directing Congressional dollars to safety improvement projects like the one in Blaine.
"It's called a community funding project. It's community funding project money," Rep. Emmer told reporters.
"I think it's 99 percent roads and bridges, sewer and water, things that have federal nexus and also are hard infrastructure. This is what your federal government's supposed to do. You're paying federal taxes; you should see some of it come back."
The project's going through final design and right-of-way acquisition, with heavy construction set to begin in 2025 and run for two years.
Local leaders concede driving through the construction zone will bring hassles and headaches for motorists, but the finished project will be smoother, much safer section of Highway 65.
"So many people’s lives are impacted by the unsafe conditions of this road that will now not happen when it is improved," Anoka County Commissioner Julie Jepson remarked.