ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Gov. Mark Dayton and several key Cabinet members met behind closed doors Friday with legislative backers of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, trying to figure out how to make the team's site choice in suburban Arden Hills viable in the waning days of the legislative session.

Several participants in the meeting said talks centered on the Ramsey County site. Rep. Morrie Lanning, the Moorhead Republican carrying the bill in the House, said that's because the Vikings have made it their clear choice over rebuilding at the current Metrodome site in Minneapolis.

But the Ramsey County site is presenting challenges, given the May 23 deadline to adjourn the legislative session. Lanning said there's still a lack of clarity over the exact cost of needed road repairs around the site -- costs that threaten to push the total state spending commitment well above a $300 million ceiling that Dayton and legislators insist is set in stone.

"The governor, Sen. Rosen and I are all on the same page with the fact that the $300 million is the state's limit and that has to cover whatever transportation costs need to be incurred there," said Lanning, referring to the bill's chief Senate sponsor, Republican Julie Rosen of Fairmont.

The deal struck earlier this week between the Vikings and Ramsey County leaders split costs for the $1.1 billion, retractable-roof stadium between the team $407 million; the county at $350 million; and the state at $300 million -- plus the cost of transportation improvements.

But those added costs are turning out to be the rub. A state Department of Transportation estimate pegged transportation spending needs in the area to be at least $175 million, but Vikings and Ramsey County officials believe that's too high. They also argue most of those improvements would have to happen in the next few years anyway, with or without the stadium.

Dayton's transportation and budget commissioners were both in the meeting in the governor's Capitol office, and Lanning and Rosen said afterward they're hoping to soon receive a new transportation analysis that all the interested parties can agree on.

"We need to start getting some questions answered before we can really start moving on this thing," Rosen said.

Rosen said she also wants the team to explain why it opted to back a retractable-roof stadium over a more economical fixed roof. The written agreement between the team and Ramsey County released this week raised the possibility that the team could decide to switch to a fixed roof if the retractable one turns out to be too expensive; under the agreement any savings realized from that switch would come off the Vikings' share.

Dayton affirmed that he and the bill sponsors are united on the issue of the state's commitment. "We agreed that $300 million is the state share and it's going to be limited to that," he said. "We're going to make that once again clear to the Vikings."

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