Highway 14 safety gets attention

The saga of Highway 14 took a new turn this week as a safety audit by independent consultants determined the road from North Mankato to New Ulm was even more dangerous and deadly than previously thought.

This story is of great interest to the communities along the road and us here at The Free Press. In 2010, reporter Mark Fischenich spent months researching the crash rates on the highway and interviewing numerous sources for what became a three part-series on the highway.

Pouring over pages and pages of statistics, our report determined Highway 14 from North Mankato to New Ulm had a fatal crash rate nearly twice the state average. In my mind it is one of the most significant reports on public policy this newspaper has ever done.

The series has been recognized with awards from various organizations.

But the recent safety audit only confirms what we determined, but even more so.

The recent safety audit determined it is now three times the state average.

In a positive sign, it appears MnDOT officials are going to do something about the safety. There are several shorter-term solutions to improve safety quickly, including a center cable fence, rumble strips in the median and widening the road in places.

But the complete four lane expansion from North Mankato to New Ulm did not appear to be a solution MnDOT favored, mostly because officials say the state does not have $300 million to spend on it. Although it's important to note Sen. Kathy Sheran got MnDOT officials to say at a recent hearing that the four lane was not out of the question.

We argued in an editorial Thursday, that the money doesn't have to be the hold up. The "convenience project" of upgrading the Highway 169, 494 interchange cost $125 million alone.

I've been communicating with legislators and the governor's office, arguing again and again how important it is to make this road safe and how long we've been fighting for it. Local legislators of both parties are supportive. We're seeing the governor's office give this more personal attention than ever before.

The next step may be gathering public support to at the very least get approval of some of the more significant temporary measures and get the four-lane project on MnDOT's 20 year list for completion.

Stay tuned for how you can help.