Purpose

• Repeal provisions related to the transportation greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment.
• Modify a prior appropriation and amend various Minnesota statutes to set up a new, long-range planning framework for state highway investments that aligns with the statewide multimodal transportation plan.

Main provisions

• Establishment of a 20-year Minnesota state highway investment plan, to be prepared by the commissioner within one year after each revision of the statewide multimodal transportation plan.
• The plan must:
  • Incorporate performance measures and targets for the state trunk highway system, based on objectively verifiable data.
  • Address preservation and maintenance of the structural condition of highways, bridges, pavements, roadside infrastructure, and traveler facilities; safety; and mobility.
  • Summarize trends and impacts for each performance target over the past five years.
  • Summarize the department’s capital investments and priorities from the past five years, including a comparison of prior projections with actual costs.
  • Identify investments needed to meet targets over the next 20 years.
  • Project available state and federal funding over the 20-year period, including any special funding opportunities.
  • Identify strategies to maximize efficiency and benefits from projected funding.
  • Set investment priorities that emphasize cost-effective preservation, maintenance, and repair, aligning with related goals.
  • Provide a schedule of major projects or improvement programs for the 20-year period.
  • Identify projected costs and their impact on performance targets.
  • Identify any performance targets that are not expected to be met within 20 years and propose alternative strategies.
  • Establish procedures and guidance for capacity expansion project development to conform with a referenced statutory requirement (capacity expansion guidelines related to section 161.178 subdivision 2 paragraph a).

Significant changes to existing law

• Repeals provisions related to the transportation greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment.
• Repeals and adjusts several statutory sections, including:
  • Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 174.03, subdivision 1c (as amended to create the state highway investment planning requirements)
  • Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 174.49, subdivision 6
  • Minnesota Statutes 2024 sections 161.178, subdivisions 1, 2, 2a, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
  • Minnesota Statutes 2024 sections 161.1782
  • Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 161.178, subdivision 4.1.8
• The net effect is a shift away from the former greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment framework toward a long-range, performance-based investment planning approach for highway infrastructure.

Implementation and timing

• The 20-year highway investment plan must be prepared within one year after each revision of the statewide multimodal transportation plan.
• The plan must reflect performance targets and trends, funding projections, and capacity-expansion guidance, and must be aligned with related state goals and statutory provisions.

Potential impacts

• Creates a formal, long-term budgeting and project-planning process focused on preserving and improving the state highway system and related facilities.
• Emphasizes measurable targets, cost-effectiveness, and prioritization of projects to maximize safety, mobility, and preservation outcomes.
• Reduces or removes the separate greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment framework in favor of a broader planning and funding optimization approach.

Key terms to watch

• Minnesota state highway investment plan
• statewide multimodal transportation plan
• performance measures/targets (objectively verifiable)
• preservation/maintenance
• safety
• mobility
• state trunk highway system
• capital investments
• state and federal funding
• major projects/improvement programs
• capacity expansion project development
• 161.178 subdivision 2 paragraph a
• 174.01 subdivision 2 clause 9
• greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment
• repealed statutory sections (161.178, 161.1782, 174.03(1c), 174.49(6))

Relevant Terms - Minnesota state highway investment plan - statewide multimodal transportation plan - performance targets - preservation - maintenance - safety - mobility - state trunk highway system - capital investments - funding (state and federal) - major projects - improvement programs - capacity expansion - project development - 161.178 subdivision 2(a) - 174.01 subdivision 2 clause 9 - greenhouse gas emissions impact assessment - repealed statute sections (161.178, 161.1782, 174.03(1c), 174.49(6))