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Bill would fund I-494 expansion

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Feb 28, 2013 at 6:26 am

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KNSI) Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik says traffic slowdowns and heavy congestion along a stretch of Interstate 494 through her northwest metro community are bad for business and frustrating for residents.

A bill sponsored by Rep. John Benson of Minnetonka would help ease that problem by using $50 million in state bonding proceeds - in addition to existing state transportation dollars - to add a third lane in each direction on a stretch of busy suburban interstate highway through the growing cities of Plymouth and Maple Grove.

House Transportation Finance Committee members heard the bill Wednesday without taking a vote.

The committee chairman said the bill would be ranked by the committee along with other transportation bonding proposals before being forwarded to the House Capital Investment Committee for possible inclusion in a bonding bill.