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MnDOT getting ready to roll on Highway 14

Construction to start soon, October completion planned

By Fritz Busch 4 min read

COURTLAND -- A large crowd of residents largely from Courtland and New Ulm attended a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) open house for the New Ulm to Nicollet four-lane expansion project at the Courtland Community Center Tuesday.

Most people spoke positively about the two-year, 12.5 mile concrete project designed to improve safety and travel for the freight and trade corridor planned to be complete by October 2023.

"It's just a thrill to see this finally getting done," said House Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Hanska. "People started calling me about this when I filed for election in 2008."

"I'm so glad it's happening," said a rural Courtland truck driver working on the project. "Everybody knows its going to be good. It's just a learning curve, going up the hill to get to the interchange and boom, you're on the four-lane. There's been a lot of crashes between New Ulm and Courtland and Courtland to Nicollet over the years. Hoffman Construction has done a helluva job."

"No complaints. I hope they have a good construction season like last year," said Jim Sutherland of Courtland. "There's lots of positive feelings."

"We got a lot of work done last year. We should be going on this in a couple weeks," said District 7 Construction Supervisor Todd Kjolstad. "I'm happy with the progress we made last year. We plan to hit it pretty hard in May with bridge and pipe work. Bridge beams were set in December."

Kjolstad spoke next to a split video screen of drone footage comparing the highway before the project began and how it looked late last fall.

"One request I have is for drivers is to please not go around highway barriers (during construction)," he said. "Most people have been very understanding."

Accomplishments in 2022 included putting the CSAH 37 bridge in place and adding bituminous surface from TH 15 to the new CSAH 37 interchange. Most of the drainage work is done. Plans are for CSAH 37 (20th Street South in New Ulm) to open to local traffic in June.

Paving accomplishments in 2022 included pavement from CSAH 37 to the New Ulm Quartzite Quarries, concrete in the westbound lanes from the east end of the project to about a mile from Courtland and bituminous paving on Hillcrest and Shady Lane.

Other 2022 accomplishments were the placement of three million yards of common embankment, 580 feet of box culvert, 9,050 feet of culverts and six miles of concrete paving.

A couple of men who said they live north of Courtland near CR 12, which is planned to be closed for several months beginning in May, will have to drive 20 miles to Courtland to pick up his mail instead of the usual two mile trip.

"We're closing the road to do a lot of culverts and to place a lot of material," said Kjolstad.

"I ask people to stay off township roads, especially 561st."

A man said he was concerned about drivers blowing stop signs on CR 21 north of Courtland. He suggested adding a flashing stop sign on CR 21.

"Somebody's going to get killed," said the man. "People are looking at their GPS wondering where they are."

Another person asked why the four-lane project didn't include Highway 14 between TH 15 and CSAH 37.

"Traffic drops off going west of CR 37 and river valley bluffs make it really expensive, $10 million for two miles," said MnDOT District 7 Assistant Engineer Zak Tess.

Kjolstad urged people to stay informed by signing up for project email updates at mndot.gov/d7/projects/14newulmtomankato. He said weekly public construction meetings should begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 at the Courtland Community Center. Meeting attendees can speak with construction staff and ask questions.

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