The future of transportation improvements may be emerging on a short stretch of highway in Scott County.
And it's a future some will find as troubling as others find satisfying.
A single deep-pocketed entity is writing a check for a new lane of freeway on Hwy. 169 in Shakopee, and the city's mayor is thrilled. A wealthy donor is "extremely helpful in moving projects to the top of the list," Brad Tabke said.
But that's just what raises eyebrows for others.
"Any time that available money allows a private preference to trump the public interest," said Curt Johnson, former chairman of the Metropolitan Council, "there's a question that needs an answer."
The lane will ease the flow through heavy traffic leading to two major entertainment destinations, Mystic Lake Casino and Canterbury Park. The donor is the owner of the casino, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
Without that money, the state would not be pursuing the project, since it is not included in the Minnesota Department of Transportation's plans, said Jon Solberg, MnDOT's south metro planner.
Instead, engineers plan to complete the project's design this year and construction will start in spring of 2015.