The total project cost for the Mille Lacs County Road 132 project is $625,000. TED funds from MnDOT and DEED contributed $300,000. Hawkins Sawmill is contributing $175,000 to this project, and Mille Lacs County is contributing the remaining costs.
Project Description
This project will reconstruct a two- mile stretch of County Road 132 in Mille Lacs County.The reconstruction will reconstruct the current five-ton gravel road and replace it with a nine-ton bituminous surface route that will support heavier vehicles transporting lumber from the area sawmill.
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Transportation Impacts
Before this project, this roadway segment had a limited structural capacity that would on occasion create partial obstruction in the roadway. In addition, since the road was gravel, there had been issues with dust. These problems will be eliminated with this project, with the final result being a hard surface roadway allowing for safe two-way traffic year round.
Economic Development Impacts
Hawkins Sawmill is a regional mill that buys and processes hardwood for the homebuilding industry that uses trucking year round. Before this project, the 5 ton gravel road limited Hawkins Sawmill shipping ability by forcing them to ship out smaller partial loads and then reassemble them at an off-site location to make full loads. With the completion of this project, Hawkins Sawmill will be able to have full loads shipped in and out, which will ensure that this mill continues to be a viable contributor to the local economy.
