Highway 14 construction

to begin on May 3

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Construction work is set to begin Monday, May 3, on Minnesota Department of Transportation's $6,989,888 U.S. Highway 14 reconstruction project in New Ulm.

However, residents won't need to seek alternate routes immediately as work begins on a two-year project to reconstruct the highway between the intersection of 7th North Street and North Broadway and the west city limits on Highway 14, MnDOT Dist. 7 Project Engineer Robert J. Williams said Friday.

Mathiowetz Construction Company of rural Sleepy Eye is expected to be working on the detour routes at first in order to get them ready for use as detours, Williams said.

"That is going to take a couple days as we have to sign and so forth. So they would not actually detour traffic on Monday."

Williams believes rumors of delays in the Highway 14 reconstruction project stemmed from confusion surrounding MnDOT's announcement that the construction start for the Janesville-to-Waseca segment of the Highway 14 expansion project had been set back because of wetlands issues.

"The only thing that would delay this project is that the construction contract has not been signed, but we expect that will be resolved this week so we're not anticipating there will be a delay," Williams said.

The detour routes which will be worked on are 3rd North Street from Broadway to Front Street, Front Street from 3rd North to 20th North Street and 20th North to the Highway 14 intersection.

After the detour preparation is finished, Williams said, the contractor will start work on the highway itself.

"They will start down by Hardee's, (taking up) bituminous from there up to 17th. Then, they will actually start concrete removal from 7th to 10th, and then (start) working back from 17th to 14th. So, that will take them a couple weeks to get that done, and then the water contractors will come in," Williams explained.

In addition to completing the resurfacing of Highway 14 from 7th North to 20th North, the contractor also has to construct frontage roads to the west of Garden Street for use as detours during the remaining reconstruction next year.

Although the project start has not been delayed, Williams said there is a matter of unresolved easements between 17th North and 20 North streets that will delay work in that area.

"We have four unresolved right-of-way parcels that have not gone through our right-of-way procedures. We knew that going into this job so there is language in the contract not allowing the contractor to work between 17th North Street and 20th North Street until after late June. That gives everyone time to go through the right-of-way process," Williams explained.

Williams also said MnDOT has had to change its plan to provide a right-turn lane at the 7th North intersection to make it easier for large trucks to turn onto Highway 14.

"New Ulm is one of only two communities in Minnesota having a historic designation so in order to qualify for federal funding (federal funds cover 80 percent of the project's cost) on this project, the plans had to be submitted to the Minnesota Historical Society for review," Williams explained.

"The Historical Society determined that a right-turn lane was not in keeping with the historic nature of the area. We'll try, however, to give them as much space as possible for turning."

Work being done this year, including the pavement removal and the city's companion utility work, probably will have the most impact on area residents and businesses, Williams said.

"Local traffic will likely need to use side streets and alleys to access their homes and businesses."

However, Williams stressed that MnDOT is doing everything within its power to make sure people are kept current on the project's progress. He said MnDOT maintenance crews would be putting large signs at either end of the project to inform people about available detours.

MnDOT also plans weekly meetings during construction "to provide updates and address concerns of impacted residents and businesses."

"Also, we'll be providing updates to the Chamber of Commerce to pass on to people like they did with the Streetscape project," William said.