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<br />MA(;AZINE
<br />
<br />MINNESOT
<br />
<br />I']u, m,)mh' I),'%,,h,l,n.'nt.
<br />nc~an I)clmrtn.'nl .f Ener~
<br />
<br />dcsiwwd I,, I,ublicizv
<br />
<br />e(ll)n{)[]]i(l .Iq,~rlunilie~ and to
<br />aid in pronmlin~ ('cnnomi(' ex-
<br />i)nnsi(m. ])ubli~l.,d ten lirues
<br />i,cr >ear. ~,ill~ c,,mhined issues
<br />in June/Jul> and l)cccmber/
<br />J anuar>.
<br />
<br />Vol. 1 No. 10, August 1983
<br />
<br />~(lilors are %% eh.onH, lo excerpl
<br />for ne~s articles or reprint en-
<br />tire articles. N. iwrmi~sion is
<br />required, hut we would appre-
<br />clare credit for the arth'k' and a
<br />copy of ll~e publication.
<br />
<br />Balk postage rales i)aid at St.
<br />Paul. Minnesnfa.
<br />
<br />Prepared bx thc staff of the l)i-
<br />vision of I~,e.nomic i)evelop-
<br />meat Marketing ()ffiee. 012/
<br />2q7-1300.
<br />
<br />'~,--.~" L.~cpartment ot
<br /> and Economic Devdopmcm
<br />
<br /> q00 American Ccmcr
<br /> East Kel[o~ Boulevard
<br />Si. Paul, Mm~ta 55101
<br />
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<br />Developmenl. q00 American Cenler
<br />Building. 150 E. Kellogg Blvd.. St.
<br />Paul. MN 35101.
<br />
<br />Air, land, water routes
<br />give balanced network
<br />
<br /> For businesses si)il:ping m,,,ds to kev
<br />llilliOnil] markvts. Minnesnta's central
<br />h,cation and strong transportation sys-
<br />tem are great benefits.
<br /> The level of service the system pro-
<br />rides explains wh) there is a large con-
<br />centration of corporate headquarters
<br />and industrial companies here,
<br /> The system consists of a well balanced
<br />network,of air, land and water routes for
<br />tile movement ~g goods into, out of and
<br />within the state.
<br /> Minnesota is served by several major
<br />ports on the Mississippi ~liver and Lake
<br />Superior, 131,000 miles of streets and
<br />highways and more than 5.500 miles of
<br />railroad. In 1984, 13 major air carriers
<br />and 10 eommuter/r%donal carriers en-
<br />planed almost 9 million passengers at
<br />the state's 140 public a~ports.
<br /> The air travel industD' here is domi-
<br />nated by Minneapolis/St. Paul Interna-
<br />tional Airport, the only airport in the
<br />Upper Midwest designated for direct
<br />flights to E~ope,
<br /> The state's air travel employment
<br />greatly exceeds the national average be-
<br />cause we are an important regional hub.
<br /> The Mississippi River and Lake Su-
<br />perior also ~'e as key elements in Min-
<br />nesota's transportation infrastruct~e.
<br /> The Pon of Duluth serves the needs
<br />
<br />of agribusinesses and thc minin,.: indus-
<br />tr.,,', with bulk gr,,in the port's l,rincipal
<br />export commodily. (hher cargo inch,les
<br />taeonile pellets, coal. limestone, cement
<br />and sah. Annual tonnage through the
<br />Duluth harbor fluctuates, however, eon-
<br />lingenl on economic circumstances
<br />worldwide.
<br /> Important eommoditles to the state's
<br />river system include coal. agrieuhural
<br />products, grain and scrap iron. all mov-
<br />ing downstream. Major upstream eom-
<br />modifies are petroleum products, chem-
<br />icals, fertilizer, sand and gravel.
<br /> Train movement on the more than
<br />5.500 miles of track in Minnesota is
<br />principally to points west and south.
<br />Connector terminals and interline
<br />agreements with other m~jor earrlers in
<br />Chicago, St. Louis and Memphis serve
<br />east and southeast markets.
<br /> Principal commodities carried by rail
<br />are metallic ores, eoM, farm products.
<br />chemicals, food and forest products.
<br /> Transportation services account for
<br />61 percent of the employment in the
<br />state's distribution servlees sector,
<br />which also includes eommunieatlons
<br />and utilities. Employment in this area is
<br />primarily concentrated in trucking and
<br />warehousing, interurban transit and air
<br />transport.
<br />
<br />Road weight limits under study
<br />/or 1986 legislative review
<br />
<br /> Spring weight restrictions on Minne-
<br />sota highways are costing businesses
<br />millions each year. At the request of the
<br />legislature, the Minnesota Department
<br />of Transportation IMnDOTI has under-
<br />taken a stud.;' of this and other key busi-
<br />ness/transportation issues.
<br /> It will be at least 1987 before weight
<br />restrictions are eased, however, so 83
<br />percent of the state's highwav system
<br />will be restricted to vehicle ~(eig~ts of
<br />less than 10 tons per axle load again next
<br />spring.
<br /> A MnDOT report estimates that pro-
<br />posed changes in the weight restrictions
<br />would mean $23 million in direct benefit
<br />to companies hauling grain, milk, fertil-
<br />izer, timber and other commodities, and
<br />another $20 million in indirect benefit to
<br />the rural economy.
<br />
<br /> The weight restriction is not compati-
<br />ble with those of neighboring states, and
<br />places some Minnesota goods move-
<br />meat at a competitive disadvantage dur-
<br />ing the spring. Minnesota's allowable
<br />road weight is 73.280 pounds unless
<br />posted, with 80,000 on some roads. But
<br />North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa al-
<br />low 80,000 pounds on all roads, and
<br />South Dakota allows 95,500 pounds.
<br /> The weight restriction law has partlc-
<br />ular impact on the forest product and
<br />agribusiness industries.
<br /> Russ Allen, executive secretan' of the
<br />Minnesota Timber Producers A]ssocia-
<br />tion, says, "In general, I feel we have a
<br />problem with a lack of enough 10-ton
<br />roads year around. There's also a need
<br />to upgrade bridges and major arteries
<br />leading to the primary mills."
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