Engineer: Four-lane Highway 15 needed

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

MANKATO--For several reasons, including safety and traffic load, the U.S Highway 14 four-lane expansion project is holding center stage at the Minnesota Department of Transportation's District 7 Mankato office.

However, that doesn't mean it's the only project affecting New Ulm that may be in the offing.

"In addition to the four-lane from New Ulm to Mankato and Rochester and points beyond, we also need a four-lane highway from New Ulm to St. Cloud," Dist. 7 Engineer Jim Swanson said.

"That's probably 30 years away, but, actually, it should absolutely be there. We need a four-lane facility up the center of this state just to provide the safety for all the public."

Expanding State Highway 15 to four lanes from New Ulm to St. Cloud makes a lot of sense as far as Swanson is concerned.

"It's not as high a volume (on 15) as some of them are, but the fact is that this state needs something, another north-south route, that provides the safety of a four-lane facility," he said.

"I'm not sure exactly where it would go, but 15 is such a logical corridor because it goes up to St. Cloud, and then it ties in with (U.S.) Highway 10 and 371 and 23. It's just such a logical point," Swanson explained.

He could have added because Highway 15 intersects with Interstate 90 at Fairmont, the highway would be a more efficient route, by-passing the Twin Cities metro area, to northern Minnesota destinations for those travelers coming off of I-90.

It also would provide several alternatives for those traveling to the cities from the New Ulm area. and beyond.

"It would be the next belt-line around the metro area, Highway 14 and 15 to the north," Swanson said.

Initial reaction to Swanson's proposal from the City of New Ulm was cool.

"First, let's get 14 done," said Mayor Joel Albrecht.

"The thing at hand is the safety of people traveling Highway 14. All this dreaming or speculating about (Highway 15) doesn't make a lot sense to me, but that's (MnDOT's) long-range planning, I guess."