Grant Funding for Roundabout in Litchfield

State Representative Scott Van Binsbergen of Montevideo has announced that the state is providing up to $2-point-7-million in grant funding for a highway project on the eastern edge of Litchfield. Meeker County Public Works Director and County Engineer Phil Schmalz says the award will help MnDOT fund most of the cost of installing a roundabout at the T-intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and County State Aid Highway 34.

Schmalz says it’s long been a problematic junction, with Highway 12 currently uncontrolled and a one-way stop on Highway 34. The Minnesota Department of Transportation approved grant funding for this project through its Transportation Economic Development (TED) program, which aims to fund improvements with measurable economic benefits.

Van Binsbergen says he congratulates the Meeker County officials who were successful in obtaining this grant and to the people of this area who will see the benefits. He says this program funds projects that contribute to job creation, job retention, or another measurable economic benefits, and he looks forward to the positive results this grant will bring Meeker County residents.

MnDOT indicates it will fund up to 70 percent of the project’s total cost – the maximum allowed under the TED program – with the county responsible for the balance. Schmalz says the county is still working to source the balance of funding for the project. MnDOT’s grant parameters stipulate the work must begin by June of 2028.