Four-lane highway now continuous from New Ulm to Rochester
Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today stood alongside a bipartisan group of legislators and community leaders to open the last stretch of Highway 14 that completes a continuous four-lane highway between New Ulm and Rochester. Photos from the event are attached.
Governor Walz’s advocacy on this project spans back to his time in Congress and the death of his neighbor in Mankato.
“As someone who has lost a neighbor on this road, I know that for the Minnesotans who travel Highway 14 every day, this project is personal. After years of working on this in Congress, I’m incredibly proud to see the final miles of this project completed,” said Governor Walz. “Today, I am keeping all who have lost loved ones on this highway in my thoughts. This expansion will keep Minnesotans safe while expanding economic activity across southern Minnesota.”
“Highway 14’s expansion is a major investment in the safety and vitality of communities across southern Minnesota,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I am so proud to be celebrating its completion and am grateful for all our partners who have been instrumental throughout this project. We will continue investing in transportation and infrastructure projects that connect Minnesotans, improve safety, and drive economic growth.”
Targeted improvements along this corridor included constructing new interchanges in Courtland and Brown County Road 37 in New Ulm, adding turn lanes, improving intersections, and installing snow fence between Courtland and Nicollet to prevent excessive blowing and drifting snow.
“Improving safety and travel on Highway 14 has long been the focus of both MnDOT and the communities along this important corridor,” said MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “Today we celebrate the completion of this project, and we want to extend a thank you to all our partners at the federal, state and local levels who helped us achieve this long-term goal. Most of all, we want to thank the communities who live on this corridor for their patience with the many construction projects over the years.”
Funding for the Highway 14 expansion project was made possible with $48.2 million from a U.S. Department of Transportation Rural Projects Initiative loan and a $22 million grant from the U.S. DOT’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program that Governor Walz announced in 2020. Additional sources of funding include contributions from the state trunk highway fund and from Nicollet County.