Grant to coincide with Hwy. 108 project

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The downtown Henning area could receive a big makeover as part of a Highway 108 reconstruction project in 2024. 

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, the Henning City Council heard from Todd Carroll of the Minnesota Department of Transportation about the 2024 highway project. Carroll said the city has already received approximately $63,600 from MnDOT that could be used for aesthetics. Carroll said the city was also eligible for a $150,000 TA grant, which included a 20 percent city contribution. 

The funding can be used for a wide variety of items like benches, decorative lights and other enhancements to help beautify the downtown Henning area. 

Carroll said MnDOT has taken a different approach over the years when it comes to highway projects. He said MnDOT wants to look at road projects for not only vehicles, but pedestrians and other forms of transportation as well.

“With MnDOT right now we try to look at complete streets. We try to look at how does it work for not just traffic and cars and things like that, but pedestrians and bicyclists,” he said. 

Some of the decorative items currently begin discussed was benches, dry rock planters and a decorative wood pattern that would resemble a boardwalk on parts of the sidewalk.

Carroll said a Highway 108 aesthetics committee has been looking into different options for the downtown project and the goal was to incorporate the idea of Henning being the gateway to the lakes. He said the plan was to provide a low maintenance way to enhance the downtown project. 

The city council approved moving forward with the TA grant.

“It would be foolish not to spend the $37,000 and not get the rest of it,” said city councilman Jim Haberer of the 20 percent TA grant.