You have to understand something about how my political identity was formed. Sure, my upbringing on the labor bastion of the Iron Range mattered, as did my experiences in the local DFL organization as a teenager and the vociferous reading I did back then. Being the son of a liberal mother and libertarian father also had its strange impact. But the earliest political thought I had occurred when my grandfather showed me all of his correspondence with state lawmakers over the matter of Highway 169.
Highway 169 was once a two lane highway that curved town to town along the iron formation of the Mesabi Range. In the 1950s and ’60s the state converted the highway to four lanes … sort of. Certain sections of the highway, especially over in Itasca County on the western end, were left two lane. Eventually, moving into the 1980s, a four-lane section was completed between Grand Rapids and Coleraine, leaving an odd two lane connection between two sleek, modern sections. This angered my grandpa, who had served on the Keewatin City Council in the 1960s when he and the citizens of the Iron Range were promised a trans-Range expressway.
It was this constant talk of Highway 169 that has led me to the belief that the Iron Range will never truly usher its Age of Reason until the highway is finished. Once this highway is done we can honestly argue that the Iron Range’s town vs. town parochialism that so often holds us back is less justified than ever. We’re all equal spots on a highway that unites one economically and historically significant region in Northern Minnesota.
Enter my old pals Barack Obama and Jim Oberstar.
Highway 169 connects the East Range to the West Range and is vital to commerce and tourism. Highway 53 is another important road that connects the Iron Range to other parts of the state. Both are well traveled and not as safe or efficient as they should be. Both have four-lane plans worked up to varying degrees (53 is much closer to completion) and have been held up for decades mostly out of lack of state funds. Now that the federal government is considering an economic stimulus package that includes infrastructure improvements, we have an opportunity in northern Minnesota to finish the job. President-elect Obama says he’s committed to infrastructure as part of a national economic stimulus and Congressman Jim Oberstar is the Chair of the House Transportation Committee. I hear a sound. It starts as a whisper and builds to a song: 1-6-9.
Infrastructure improvements are expensive but have many side benefits including construction jobs, the use of steel (our leading commodity up here), safety and productivity. Economically, a trans-Range expressway would send a message that we are serious about the future of the Iron Range. Without that, we’re just “big talkin’,” the way they’ve been big talkin’ around here for a generation and a half. Action matters and generally begets more action. And before the anti-spending crowd gets all worked up remember we’ve already let the fat cats have a couple turns at the trough. They’ve filled their bellies on economic stimulus. Now that we have a chance to actually do something that will help actual people, let’s not quibble about the roll of our bloated government. What’s that? You think government is a big stinking overfed animal run amok with the people’s money? Damn straight and an aircraft carrier. Let’s put the beast to work paving Highway 169. It ain’t pretty, but that four-lane highway will be.
Be careful what you wish for. There is another perspective on the four lane highwy 169. That is it sucked the commercial life out of the small communities it bypassed.
Even during the depression in the iron ore industry of the late 50’s and early 60’s, towns like Chisholm, Keewatin and Nashwauk were thriving metropolises compared to today. People didn’t have to drive to the Walmart in Hibbing or Grand Rapids to get basic necessities. Has the consolidation of commercial life into suburban-style strip malls along the highway been an improvement?
Certainly the highway will give the managers of the new steel plant in Nashwauk the option of living in a nice house on Lake Pokegama and commuting to work. But for the typical worker its going to mean a choice between living close to work and driving a long way for everything else. Or living in a community with services and paying for gas to get to work.
We caught a glimpse of what that highway induced auto-dependence might mean when gas prices went through the roof this summer. Unlike people who live where there is a public transit or a short distance from jobs and commercial services, there were no real options for people who live on the range.
I am not sure that finishing 169 will make the range a better place to live. And it would be nice if they fixed the potholes in the existing roads first and did some preventive maintenance so that those potholes weren’t there to begin with.
Finally, lets be clear. This is a job program. It is designed to sustain the construction and road building industry through the recession. But the business model of gas taxes paying for constant construction of new roads has reached its limits. Investing huge sums in propping up that failed business model is a mistake. There is a reason money wasn’t there in the good times to build these roads and it won’t be there after the “crisis” is over to extend this building splurge. If we are going to build economic bridges, lets build them to somewhere we want to go.
You make some excellent points, but I still strongly argue for the completion of this highway.
First, on the matter of bypassing the towns … yes. People in Keewatin and Nashwauk will tell you that the highway sapped their downtowns in the 1970s and ’80s. Bovey is going through the same thing right now. The problem is that you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. You can’t route everyone through town any more. Transit in northern Minnesota means highways. Thus, highways should be as efficient and safe as possible. That means four lanes.
I know the numbers are bad on gas burning vehicles, but on the Iron Range we are ten years behind everywhere else in our ability to convert. I have many family members in the transportation business up here and the numbers on trying to do mass transit in anything with gas are dismal. I love trains but we’re a long way from that working. Actually, it probably won’t because commuters on the Range come from the country and converge on a town. The town to town traffic is much more sporadic.
I’d really like to see high speed internet infrastructure spread across the Range to allow less driving through e-commuting. But there again, that doesn’t help the worker driving in for a shift at the mine or the trucker get his load over to Grand Rapids. We need to do both.
I live in a town of 7000 with a Federal highway going right through downtown. 20 years ago when I was still a kid there were way more downtown businesses than there are today. The same federal highway still runs the same route and now it is busier, but the small businesses are few.
The way Americans shop has changed, and that is what causes small business losses, not highways.
The stretch of hwy 169 from Virginia all the way to Ely is two lane. Yep, you betcha, sure be nice if dat were a four lane.
I don’t see why you couldn’t knock it back to the current 30MPH two lane thru Tower.
Aaron, you are right about the bloated government and out of control government spending, but when it comes to defense, infrastructure, fire, police, YES it is the governments’ responsibility. Obviously we need to take a look at how we have been prioritizing and make some logical changes. More infrastructure; less welfare.