St. Paul – There’s good news for drivers along Highway 14, as federal funding has been secured to help complete the four-lane Highway 14 Corridor project from Nicollet to New Ulm.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) has approved the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) 2020 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grant program application for the completion of the U.S. Highway 14 Corridor from Nicollet to New Ulm. This is a very positive development according to State Senator Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls) and State Representative Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska).
“This is really great news to hear that the Federal funding for Highway 14 from Nicollet to New Ulm has now been approved,” said State Senator Gary Dahms, District 16. “This is a project I’ve made a priority during my service in the Minnesota Senate. I would like to thank local leaders, the Highway 14 Coalition, MnDOT, my fellow legislators and Congressman Hagedorn, who have all worked hard to make this happen,” Dahms concluded.
“The announcement that Federal BUILD Grant funds will be used to help fund a four-lane expansion of Highway 14 from Nicollet to New Ulm is great news for the corridor and, of course, for the city of New Ulm,” said State Representative Paul Torkelson, District 16B. “I welcome the participation of the USDOT, and I want to especially thank Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Minnesota’s First District Congressman Jim Hagedorn. These federal funds, coupled with the current commitment from MnDOT, will assure that this project will move forward in a timely fashion. Many people, including members of the Highway 14 Coalition, have worked on this project for many years and I am so thankful that they did. Patience and persistence have paid off. Best of all, we know that this project will benefit southern Minnesota and make this busy section of Highway 14 a safer stretch of road,” Torkelson stated.
Dahms and Torkelson have been the Minnesota Legislature’s leading voices on Highway 14 expansion and are pleased that both state and federal funds are helping move this very necessary project forward.
