The Highway 23 Coalition will be holding its annual meeting in Waite Park on March 25. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been invited to speak, joining interim Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger.
WAITE PARK — The Highway 23 Coalition will have things to celebrate at its annual meeting in Waite Park on March 25. The event is set to take place only a few months before construction will officially begin on the Minnesota Highway 23 North Gap project between Paynesville and Richmond, expanding the two-lane stretch to four lanes.
According to Aaron Backman, Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission director and secretary of the coalition, more than 90 people from across the state have already reserved their space at the meeting.
Invited to speak at the event, to be held at the Park Event Center, is U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Also speaking will be general manager of Love's Travel Stop Nicole Flegler and interim Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. Gov. Tim Walz has also sent a short video that will be played.
The coalition has been working for years to close the four-lane gaps between Willmar and St. Cloud by upgrading two sections of two-lane highway. With funding secured in 2018 and construction to begin this year on the North Gap four-lane project and start next year on the South Gap, the Coalition is starting to look toward other projects on Highway 23.
The priority projects for 2022 include feasibility studies on creating four lanes of highway between Milaca and Foley and between Green Valley and Marshall; safety improvements at Highway 23 and Minnesota Highway 9 in New London; and construction of a J-turn at Bel Clare Drive and Highway 23 in Waite Park.
Stay Up-To-Date With
Hwy 23 Coalition Progress
Subscribe for Hwy 23 Coalition progress updates and accomplishments. Subscribe now!