New U.S. 14 on target for November opening

After years of discussion, planning, funding issues and delays, the construction of a new four-lane roadway from Owatonna to Rochester is finally nearing its final stages.
Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation last week said that the final four-lane segment, from Owatonna to Dodge Center, is scheduled to open in November. MnDOT explained what construction has been done and what remains at a virtual project update last week.
Actual construction on the project began in the spring of 2020 with work continuing until winter weather halted the work. The new roadway will connect to the current four-lane just east of Owatonna, run south of Claremont and parallel to the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks, and connect to the existing four-lane at Highway 56 south in Dodge Center.
Under the new alignment Highway 14 will not cross the railroad tracks at it currently does near Havana.
Because the project involves constructing a completely new highway south of the current highway much of the work has not been visible to those traveling Highway 14.
During the summer of 2020 there was an emphasis on bridge construction with the Dodge County Road 1 crossing of the new Highway 14 completed. That bridge was opened to traffic, allowing for the closing of additional county roads for bridge construction.
Bridges were built for Steele County Road 16 and Dodge County Road 3 but additional work remains before those roads can be reopened. County Road 3 will be an interchange when the project is completed to connect the county road that connects to Claremont, MnDOT officials said.
Last summer also saw about four lane miles of the new roadway paved.
Since the new roadbed is over land that was worked for agriculture, the clay subsoil needs to be dried out. There was significant earth moving work last summer to ensure a quality road, MnDOT officials said. Fifty new drainage culverts crossing the new roadway were  constructed along with eight stormwater ponds.
A unique feature for Minnesota roadways was the construction of a dedicated deer crossing passage. The location was identified with the help of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources personnel at a location known to be within the deer migratory pattern.
MnDOT designed an enlarged drained structure for the location to accommodate the deer crossing and reduce the likelihood of vehicle-deer crashes. Although such structures have been used in other states, it is the first one in Minnesota. It was realistic, MnDOT engineers said, because the new alignment is a totally new roadbed.
When work begins again this spring, bridges on Dodge County Road 3 and Steele County Road 16 will be completed and the interchange at Highway 56 and Dodge County Road 5 will be construction. The remainder of the 12.5 mile route will also be paved.
Even though the new roadway will be open for traffic there will still be work that will need to be completed in the 2022 construction season.
Currently Steele County Road 16 is closed north of SE 38th Street at the current Hwy. 14. Traffic is being detoured to Dodge County Road 1 and current Hwy. 14.
Dodge County Road 3 is closed at Front Street in Claremont and traffic detoured along the new 630th Street to Dodge County Road 1 and the current Hwy. 14.
These closures are expected to last through the spring.