The Minnesota Department of Transportation provided a community outreach presentation before the Rice County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

District 6 Planning Director Ronda Allis shared a Power Point presentation about their 10-year plan for the district, and specifically the Rice County area.

The meeting was a County Board of Commissioners work session in the Commissioner's Room of the Rice County Government Services building in Faribault.

Allis handed packets out to the commissioners and then concentrated on some current-year projects in Rice County.

The largest project begins later this summer and includes a repaving of Highway 60 from the east end of Faribault to the west end of Kenyon in Goodhue County. Total cost, according to MnDOT, is about $6.6 million.

After the meeting, I visited with MnDOT District 6 Regional Planner Andrew Andrusko about the unfinished interchange on I-35 in south Faribault. During the meeting commissioners were asked if they had any projects they wanted to discuss with the MnDOT representatives and the interchange was not brought up by anyone.

Andrusko told me if the completion of the interchange is not a priority for the community it won't be a priority for the Minnesota Department of Transportation because there isn't enough money now to keep up with the transportation needs statewide.

At one point during the conversation, I asked if any roundabouts were coming to the district and he said they are discussing the possibility of a roundabout in downtown Kenyon where the road veers to Highway 56 South toward West Concord.

In checking the MnDOT 10-year plan, there is no mention of a Kenyon roundabout. However, in 2020 a roundabout at Highway 57 and Highway 60 in Wanamingo is listed and so are east and west roundabouts this year in a Highway 58 bridge replacement at Highway 52 in Zumbrota.

MnDOT Planning Director Ronda Allis and Regional Planner Andrew Andrusko at Rice County Commissioners Meeting- photo by Gordy Kosfeld June 20,2017
MnDOT Planning Director Ronda Allis and Regional Planner Andrew Andrusko at Rice County Commissioners Meeting- photo by Gordy Kosfeld June 20,2017
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