Rice County Highway Department Public Meeting January 13, 2026
Regarding the Ten-Year Plan
Dennis Lubbe: Fifty-four projects are identified, 115 million, about a million dollars in Federal Aid. Fifty-five million dollars revenue, forty-four dedicated from sales tax, state bridge funds and partnership monies with MNDOT, about 11 million dollars.
Multiple handouts and spreadsheets are available for the public to view.
2026: 10 projects awarded, including county road 20.
2027: 9 projects planned, including bridges. All under design. First phase of county road 20.
2028: 4 bridges, culvert repair, overlay projects
County Road 20 Project: 50% way through the design. Current road is 1976 construction, two 12-foot lanes with gravel shoulders.
Public comment/concerns:
Concern about erosion along county road 20, opposed to the bike path, voices concern about liability. How do bike paths generate money for the county? How do bike paths put money on my table?
Chamber of Commerce Northfield and Lonsdale voice support for the bike trails. Interested in the money that will come to the communities with bikers/increased tourism.
Faribault Chamber of Commerce: supportive of the trail addition to county road 20. Enhanced safety with addition of the bike trails. Healthy activities yield healthier communities. Interested in connection of various trails.
Advocates about maintaining what we have, rather than to continue to build bigger and expand. Worried about declining population. Can revisions be made as demographics change?
Supporter of trails, particularly when roads are being done anyway. More economical. Advocates for safety for everyone.
Several farmers concerned about the tiles, ditches, driveways, equipment and bike trails. Wants trails to stay in towns. Who would maintain the trails?
Worries about loss of trees, rural quiet, loss of ditches, utilities (recently redone). States that everyone who is in favor of the trails does not live on property abutting the proposed trail.
Approx 50 people in the room, note that there were two additional overflow rooms.
