A proposed freight rail bypass project in the Rochester area is creating a stir at the Capitol. At issue is an $8 million bonding request for pre-design of the Southern Rail Corridor project, which would carry freight traffic around Rochester, possibly on a 48.3-mile route south of the city from Dodge Center to the Eyota area.
Project supporters — including the Olmsted County Regional Rail Authority and the Mayo Clinic — say the bypass would allow disruptive and potentially dangerous freight rail traffic to “safely and efficiently” chug around the city.
Finance & Commerce, by Brian Johnson, 2/9/2010