Despite the chilly temperatures, a jovial crowd gathered this morning in the Albertville Premium Outlet’s parking lot to celebrate the coming expansion of Interstate 94 between St. Michael and Albertville. Notable attendees included United States Senator Amy Klobuchar, 6th District US House of Representatives member Tom Emmer, Minnesota House of Representatives member Eric Lucero, State Senators Bruce Anderson and Mary Kiffmeyer, and Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle. City leaders and council members from St. Michael and Albertville were also in attendance.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation allocated $56 million for the expansion project in May 2018, which will include lane capacity expansion, bridge work, off ramp improvements and other upgrades. Work will begin in 2020.
“I-94 West is critical to transportation and commerce,” Klobuchar said. “With more families and businesses using this corridor, we have to make sure it works for everyone. This is a very exciting reminder of how important these projects are to the local area.”
“This is the most important thoroughfare from Chicago to Washington State,” Emmer added. “But this is not where it ends. This is where we’ve got to keep the pedal to the metal because it’s got to go all the way to St. Cloud.”
