Feds sign over $478 million in Central Corridor funds

Thumbnail image for light rail stalled2.jpg
Federal funds grease the rails.
So it turns out the $478 million check really was in the mail.

We were a little leery last week when St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman used his State of the City address to declare federal funding had been approved to cover half the cost of the Central Corridor light rail project.

Had he seen the check? No. But really, it was on its way, he assured reporters. No worries.

Now it's here, so we''ve been treated to a photo op of Gov. Mark Dayton, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Betty McCollum, and assorted local politicos including Chris Coleman and R.T. Rybak at the signing ceremony today at the state Capitol, taking a bow for bringing home the bacon.

Construction on the $957 million project has already started, so the money's getting here just in time. And the timing couldn't be better. Folks in the construction zone along University Avenue came to work today to find graffiti taggers had hit two dozen buildings along the route.

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