A $17.7 million grant will help pay for changes to make U.S. Highway 169 safer.

Officials say the money will go toward the construction of a new interchange where Highways 169 and 41 meet in Scott County.

Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, who fought for the grant, say the current interchange causes congestion and a disproportionate number of crashes.

Klobuchar said in a statement that the money will “ease congestion, strengthen road safety and keep driving our state’s economy in the right direction in Scott County and along the entire U.S. Highway 169 corridor.”

The money comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation.