The Highway 14 expansion will take a significant step toward completion this session under a new bill authored by State Senator John Jasinski (R- Faribault). Sen. Jasinski today introduced Senate File 142 to fully fund the second and third phase of the Owatonna to Dodge Center Highway 14 project, a thirteen mile stretch of highway between those two towns. The bill appropriates $183.2 million to expand this segment of Highway 14 to four lanes in both directions.

“I get more constituent feedback about the highway 14 expansion project than any issue besides health care,” said Sen. Jasinski. “There has always been bipartisan support for this because folks who live in my district understand how vital it is to finish expanding this dangerous stretch of road – not just for safety, but also for the economic benefits that will follow.

“Highway 14 is a major corridor in our area. This expansion has been discussed since the 60s, and it gets more critical every year as our population grows and more trucks travel our highways,” continued Jasinski. “This is long overdue, and I’m optimistic this is the year we finally get it done.”

The Highway 14 project first won funding under the Corridors of Commerce program in 2013. The first segment of the project was completed in 2015. Senate File 142 funds the second segment and third segment, from County Road 43 east of Owatonna to the Trunk Highway 56 junction in Dodge Center. It has been referred to the Capital Investment Committee where it awaits its first hearing.