Governor's proposal would expand Highway 14 to four lanes along key corridors, replace 6 bridges, and repair or replace nearly 70 miles of pavement along Highway 14
ST. PAUL, MN - For decades, area residents, businesses, and local leaders across southern Minnesota have been demanding needed improvements to Highway 14 - a stretch of road that now carries nearly 8,000 vehicles every day, and connects key regional trade centers in New Ulm, Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, Rochester, and Winona. Today in Mankato, Governor Mark Dayton and Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle announced that new investments included in the Governor's /governor/assets/transportation_overview_fact_sheet_tcm1055-114700.pdftransportation finance proposal would finally allow additional construction to begin on key segments of Highway 14.
"Expanding and repairing Highway 14 would support economic growth, improve safety conditions for motorists, and better-connect communities throughout the region," said Governor Dayton. "If we fail to act, these important projects may not be funded anytime soon, and the poor conditions endured by motorists every day on Highway 14 would only get worse."
Governor Dayton's proposal would fund the expansion of Highway 14 to four lanes from Owatonna to Dodge Center (13 miles), and from Nicollet to New Ulm (16 miles). It would also repair or replace six bridges and nearly 40 additional miles of pavement along Highway 14. Without additional funds provided by the Governor's proposal, these Highway 14 improvements would not likely be scheduled to begin anytime in the next 20 years. If the Governor's proposal becomes law, construction could begin on these projects within the next 3 to 6 years.
"After decades of decline, the Governor's transportation proposal would make needed safety and mobility improvements along the Highway 14 corridor," said Commissioner Zelle. "The Governor's proposal would help reduce travel times for motorists, improve safety, and build a more modern transportation system that would meet the needs of this region."
The Governor's proposal includes the following specific road and bridge improvements for Highway 14:
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County
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Type
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Highway
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Project Location
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Blue Earth
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Bridge
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US Hwy 14
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US Hwy 14 Bridge over Minnesota River in Blue Earth County
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Blue Earth
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Bridge
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US Hwy 14
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US Hwy 14 Bridge over N Riverfront Drive in Blue Earth County
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Blue Earth
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Bridge
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US Hwy 14
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US Hwy 14 Bridge over UP Railroad in Blue Earth County eastbound
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Blue Earth
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Bridge
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US Hwy 14
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US Hwy 14 Bridge over UP Railroad in Blue Earth County westbound
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Blue Earth
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Bridge
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US Hwy 14
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US Hwy 14 Bridge over US Hwy 169 in Blue Earth County
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Dodge
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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1.8 miles through Kasson - significant roadway surface improvements
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Dodge, Steele
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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Four-lane expansion from Owatonna to Dodge Center
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Lincoln
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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8 miles from US 75 (Lake Benton) to Maple Street (Tyler) - significant roadway surface improvements
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Lincoln
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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3 miles from Eastern Limits of Tyler to Lincoln-Lyon County Line - significant roadway surface improvements
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Nicollet
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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Four-lane expansion from Nicollet to New Ulm
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Olmsted
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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7 miles from County Highway 36 to County Highway 19 - significant roadway surface improvements
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Redwood
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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6 miles from Tracy to Walnut Grove - significant roadway surface improvements
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Redwood
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Road
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US Hwy 14
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13 miles from E Main Street (Revere) to Redwood-Brown County Line - upgrade previously planned projects to a longer-life improvement
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Winona
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Bridge
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US Hwy 14
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US Hwy 14 Bridge over Township Road 322 in Winona County
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Building on Recent Investments in Highway 14
The Governor's proposed investments outlined today would supplement recent Corridors of Commerce investments made in the Highway 14 Corridor over the last two years. During the 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions, Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature invested $331 million in the state's
Corridors of Commerce initiative, which funds projects that strengthen the state's transportation system by adding capacity, reducing congestion, and improving the movement of freight and commerce across Minnesota.
Overall, MnDOT has already awarded up to $75 million in Corridors of Commerce funding (or 23 percent of the state's total investment in the program) to targeted improvements along the Highway 14 Corridor. Those projects, which are already getting underway, have included: preliminary design work for the intersection of Highway 14 and Highway 15 in New Ulm; purchase of the right of way for expansion on Highway 14 from Owatonna to Dodge Center; interregional corridor capacity development for the four-lane expansion from Owatonna to Dodge Center; interregional corridor capacity development for the four-lane expansion from Mankato to Nicollet; and interregional corridor capacity development for a four-lane Nicollet bypass.
Addressing Safety Concerns, Supporting Regional Economic Growth
The Governor's proposed infrastructure improvements to these key stretches of Highway 14 would help address important safety concerns for communities across the region. According to MnDOT, Highway 14 has the highest fatal and serious injury rate of any two-lane roadway in southeast Minnesota. In fact, between 2004 and 2013, there were 197 crashes on Highway 14 between Owatonna and Dodge Center, eight of which were fatal. And from 2006 to 2010, there were 250 crashes on Highway 14 between New Ulm and North Mankato, eleven of which included a fatality or a serious injury. That particular portion of Highway 14 has a fatal and serious injury rate that is 50 percent higher than comparable rural state highways.
In addition to improving safety, the Governor's proposed investments in Highway 14 would be a boost to area businesses and farmers trying to get their goods to market. Highway 14 is an interregional corridor that connects the regional trade centers of New Ulm, Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, Rochester, and Winona. Improving the corridor would provide rapid access between these trade centers. It would also provide better connections to other interregional corridors including Highway 60, Interstate 35, and Highway 169 - allowing an uninterrupted flow of goods, services, and workers. The Governor's propose improvements would also remove through-traffic from within area cities - improving safety, access, and circulation within cities where local traffic is heavy.
About Governor Dayton's Transportation Proposal
Governor Dayton has proposed a straightforward, honest solution to fix Minnesota's aging transportation systems. The Governor's plan would invest $6 billion over the next ten years to address the state's highway funding deficit, invest $2.356 billion in local government transportation projects, and provide $2.92 billion for Metro and Greater Minnesota transit systems.
Without these new investments, road and bridge conditions across Minnesota will only continue to get worse. If the state does nothing, over the next ten years: the number of road miles in poor condition will increase by 75 percent; an estimated 640 bridges (1 in 5 bridges statewide) will deteriorate into poor condition; and nearly 40 percent of all state roadways will surpass their useful life.
To learn more about Governor Dayton's proposal, click on the links below:
/governor/assets/transportation_county_projects_fact_sheet_tcm1055-114706.pdfList of Projects - Review the list of projects - released today by the Governor and MnDOT - that would be completed over the next ten years if the Governor's transportation proposal is passed
News Release - Read the news release from the Governor's transportation proposal announcement
/governor/assets/transportation_plan_fact_sheet_tcm1055-114708.pdfHow it Works - Read about how the plan would be funded
/governor/assets/transportation_overview_fact_sheet_tcm1055-114700.pdfFact Sheet - Get all the facts on the challenges facing our transportation system, and how the Governor's proposed investments would address those challenges
/governor/assets/transportation_investments_snapshot_tcm1055-114710.pdfLocal Funding Increases - Learn how much funding each city and county would receive under the Governor's transportation proposal
/governor/assets/transportation_maps_tcm1055-114711.pdfMaps - Take a look at the transportation projects that would be funded, by region
