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Work on 290 new road construction projects around the state kicks off this week.

Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle said Thursday that slate of projects is valued at $1 billion. Most of the work will be to replace worn parts of the system.

"We're doing this strong construction program to keep our roadways and our bridges and our systems safe, and to maintain a reliable system throughout the state," Zelle said.

MnDOT will also be working on new bridges and a new MnPASS lane on Interstate 35E.

And there's some good news: Zelle said there aren't as many potholes this year as there were last year, largely because of the weather.

But Zelle also said that there may be fewer road projects in the future if legislators can't come to agreement on a long-term transportation funding package.

"Next year, and the years after, we will see a downturn in the amount of projects not because there's a lack of need, but because there's a lack of sustainable funding," Zelle said.

The transportation department and Gov. Mark Dayton say the state needs at least $6 billion over the next 10 years just for road construction. To pay for it, Dayton and Senate DFLers have proposed a new gas sales tax.

Republicans in the Minnesota House have their own proposal that would put $7 billion into all transportation projects over 10 years, but it doesn't include new gas tax revenue exclusively for road and bridge construction.

Zelle said the GOP's approach is a dangerous one because it partly relies on one-time funding from the state's general fund, which can be undone by legislators in the future.

Here are lists of the 2015 construction projects in the 

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Catharine Richert

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Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle warns that there could be fewer road projects in the future if legislators can't agree on a long-term transportation funding package.

Richert, Catharine

2015 greater Minnesota transportation projects

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