USDA Rural Development State Director Colleen Landkamer today announced funding to make essential improvements to the roadways in Grove City.
“Investing in rural infrastructure results in jobs and economic development opportunities for Greater Minnesota,” said Landkamer. “These funds ensure that Grove City residents have safe and reasonable access to essential community facilities and local businesses.”
The existing roads throughout the rural community of Grove City are in need of complete repairs. Many of the roads have broken up into small pieces and are barely held together by air pressure.
Over 560 Grove City residents use these roads to access local businesses and other important day-to-day activities, and access was becoming more and more of a challenge, resulting in the need for the roads to be replaced.
Approximately eight miles of street, curb, and gutter will be replaced with help from a $2,068,000 direct loan through USDA’s Community Facilities program.
These upgrades will complement the $11 million water and wastewater project that began in 2015 to replace aging infrastructure originally built in the 1960’s, including: a mechanical sewer treatment facility that had been causing redundancy in treatment system, an oxidation ditch with numerous cracks and heaving, a collection system susceptible to inflow and infiltration, and water distribution pipes no longer meeting size dimension standards. $7.4 million was provided through USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Programs with $600,000 being awarded through the Small Cities Development Grant program, and $3,510,000 awarded through the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority Waste Water Infrastructure Fund Grant program.
The new streets announced today will be replaced in locations where water/wastewater infrastructure improvements are not included.
Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested over $431 million in loans and grants in over 350 community facilities throughout rural Minnesota.
Rural Development also invests in housing, water and wastewater, rural small businesses, renewable energy and broadband. To learn more about Rural Development programs, visit www.rd.usda.gov/mn, or call the area office in Willmar, Minn. at (320) 235-3540, ext. 4.