Planners discuss

Highway 14's future

No time frame

yet established

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- More than a dozen engineers, consultants, city and county officials attended a workshop Thursday on the future of Highway 14.

The meeting, held at city hall, was geared to refine engineering design concepts for the U.S. Highway 14 corridor between New Ulm and Mankato.

Improvements seek to provide future mobility in the area compatible with communities and resources as traffic increases.

Peter Harff, Mn/DOT project manager, said decisions will be made in the next two years for the future project, that currently has no time frame and relies on future funding appropriations.

Preliminary corridor alternatives were developed and screened before concept sketch designs were studied. Highway design alternatives will be refined for further detailed study in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Plans call for a four-lane, divided expressway with at-grade, stop-controlled intersections when necessary, safe and feasible.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to avoid future traffic signals and add interchanges at appropriate locations.

Potential interchanges were addressed at four locations: the U.S. 14 and MN 15 "Y," east of New Ulm; the U.S. 14 and Nicollet Co. 37 intersection; and Courtland and Nicollet bypasses.

Current highway deficiencies include lack of passing zones, high crash rates at three intersections, increased traffic congestion, risk of additional traffic signals, and a high percentage of trucks using the road.

It was noted that the intersection of Highway 14 and Highway 15 east of New Ulm has the highest crash rate in the corridor, four times the expected rate and 40 percent more than the MnDOT goal.

The Highway 14-CSAH 37 intersection crash rate is 25 percent higher than the state average and twice MnDOT's expected crash severity. Two-thirds of crashes are due to poor gap selection by drivers.

Public input is sought at four corridor study open houses set for 4:30-6:30 p.m. in July. The dates are locations are:

* July 1 at Courtland Community Center

* July 8 at Fire Station No. 2, North Mankato. (ends at 7 p.m.)

* July 20 at New Ulm City Hall

* July 21 at In-Laws Restaurant, Nicollet