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St. Paul – The Highway 14 expansion between Owatonna and Dodge Center became a reality today, twenty-five years after its first Environmental Impact Study was completed in 1993, and twelve years after the Minnesota Department of Transportation held its first official public meeting on the project in 2006. Two weeks ago, the Minnesota House and Senate approved full funding for the project as part of an infrastructure-heavy bonding bill, and Gov. Dayton announced today he will sign the bill.

“At long, long, long last, the Highway 14 expansion is officially fully funded,” said Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault), vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “As a private citizen, I remember feeling discouraged by the numerous failed attempts to get this done by previous state senators. That’s why when I was elected two years ago I made it my highest priority. I wrote the original Highway 14 funding legislation this year that was included in our original bonding proposal, and when Democrats voted down that bill I kept working to make sure Highway 14 made it in the final bonding bill. I am beyond thrilled; the Highway 14 expansion will save countless lives.”

“As everyone knows, Highway 14 has been expanding to four lanes in Minnesota for more than 40 years, and I’d like to thank Commissioner Zelle and his staff for keeping Highway 14 at the top of MnDOT’s priority list and pushing this through to completion,” said State Representative John Petersburg (R-Waseca). “An improved Highway 14 is so critical to our region. Not only is it a good way to help with commerce flow – whether it’s bringing crops to market or goods to communities – but it better ensures the safety for the thousands of drivers who use the road every day.”

“It seems like every third word in Senator Jasinski’s vocabulary is Highway 14,” said Senator Dave Senjem, chair of the Senate Capital Investment Committee. “Hardly a day went by that I didn’t get a call from John pressuring me about it. He has been a strong and powerful voice; it would not have gotten done without Senator Jasinski’s persistence.”

The project is funded with a $400 million appropriation for the Corridors of Commerce program, with a specific statutory requirement that MnDOT use the Spring 2018 project evaluation survey to select the highest-listed projects, including the next two projects outside of the metropolitan area. Highway 14 is the number one Greater Minnesota priority project on this survey.