Minnesota council OKs agreements for Willmar Wye rail project

The City Council of Willmar, Minnesota, this week unanimously approved master agreements for the Willmar Wye rail project.

The project is a public-private partnership between BNSF Railway Co., the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Kandiyohi County and the city of Willmar to build a new rail line bypass on the city's west side.

The four different agreements were reached between MnDOT, BNSF, the county and city and detail each party's responsibilities for the $50 million project, the West Central Tribune reported this week.

The individual parties still need to sign the agreements. Once signed, the project can proceed to finalization of the design-build-construct contract.

Willmar city officials also will sign a permanent pipeline easement agreement with BNSF that will allow the city to continue operating and maintaining the Western Interceptor Sanitary Sewer trunk lines, which will run under the new track, the newspaper reported.

In September, the Hoffman Team was selected as the design-build contractor for the road portion of the project.

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2019.

The new rail line will be located next to the Willmar Industrial Park and provide a direct connection between BNSF's Marshall and Morris subdivisions, which will reduce the number trains passing through downtown Willmar.