Highway 14 gets a boost

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

WASHINGTON--With approval of nearly $1.5 million in federal money for the U.S. Highway 14 project, work on an environmental impact statement for the Mankato-New Ulm leg of the Highway 14 expansion is assured of getting underway.

"Half a loaf is better than no loaf at all," Owatonna Mayor Pete Connor, partnership chairman, said Friday.

"Several years ago, we thought we had $1.5 million from the Minnesota Legislature to put toward the EIS. However, that fell through so we're indebted to Senator (Mark) Dayton for getting this through for us."

Connor said the organization now would attempt to get the remaining $1.5 million re-authorized by the Legislature to complete work on the EIS.

The funding was inserted into the Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report for Fiscal Year 2003 by Dayton, and it was retained by Congressional negotiators this week.

Connor said the funding inserted by Dayton was "crucial" to getting the 30-mile section of highway into its construction phase.

Connor, who met last week with members of Minnesota's Congressional delegation in Washington to lobby for federal funding for the four-lane expansion project, said efforts continue to get $32 million included in the 2003 Congressional transportation funding bill.

Among the congressmen he met with was 1st Dist. Rep. Gil Gutknecht.

"I was encouraged in meeting with Rep. Gutknecht because he appears to be right behind us, and I think he will work for us," Connor said.

He also met and discussed the project with 8th Dist. Rep. James Oberstar, 5th Dist. Rep. Martin Sabo, 2nd Dist. Rep. Mark Kennedy, as well as Dayton and Sen. Norm Coleman.

In January, Connor said the partnership would be seeking $65 million in federal funds but since then, the figure has returned to the original request of $32 million.