Where the money goes

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Where the money goes

Updated: March 23, 2011 - 4:14 PM

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The Minnesota Department of Transportation's most recent two-year budget was about $4.2 billion.

For the first year, which ended this past June, about $2.4 billion came from state fuel and vehicle taxes and fees, while the federal government contributed more than $1.2 billion. Little money from the state's general fund goes toward MnDOT's budget.

Typically, more money is spent on road construction in the second year of a biennium. Major spending components in the 2005-2007 period broke down like this:

FISCAL 2006 (July 2005-June 2006) Highway construction: $792 million Maintenance, operations and other costs: $431 million Aid to counties and cities for construction and repair of roads and bridges: $676 million ($91 million of that was federal pass-through money, $32 million was bonding money.) Interest and principal on bonds issued for road and bridge projects: $46 million Rail, ports, non-metro airports and outstate transit: $145 million FISCAL 2007 (Preliminary) Highway construction: $908 million Maintenance, operations and other costs: $463 million Aid to counties and cities for construction and repair of roads and bridges: $684 million ($102 million of that was federal pass-through money, $35 million was bonding money) Interest and principal on bonds for road and bridge projects: $67 million Rail, ports, non-metro airports and outstate transit: $147 million

JIM FOTI

about this series
Repairs to the state's worst bridge and roads are being put off year after year, sometimes for more than a decade, as the transportation agency contends with massive budget shortfalls and aging infrastructure. The collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in August brought the problems starkly into view.

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