State grant issued for Trunk Highway 14/County State Aid Highway 44 interchange project
On July 11, 2023, Governor Tim Walz announced that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will allocate $380 million to fund eight new infrastructure projects through the state’s Corridors of Commerce program.
The Trunk Highway (TH) 14 and County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 44 interchange project was selected to receive $60 million to build a grade separated interchange at the intersection located between Rochester and Byron. The addition of this Corridors of Commerce funding is a big step toward construction of the TH 14/CSAH 44 intersection project.
“Olmsted County is excited for this contribution as design for the TH 14 and CSAH 44 interchange project is progressing and moving toward construction,” said Assistant Olmsted County Engineer Nathan Arnold. “We appreciate the longtime support from the county board and the partnership with MnDOT to help bring this needed and important interchange to fruition.”
Previously, Olmsted County received $11 million in funding for project development, purchase of right of way, and construction, including $5 million from the State Legislature through an infrastructure bill approved at the end of the 2023 session.
The TH 14/CSAH 44 interchange project will address three main goals – safety, mobility, and capacity/growth.
“I appreciate the tenacity and continued advocacy by so many parties to help make this interchange project a reality,” said Deputy County Administrator Pete Giesen. “About a dozen crashes a year happen at the intersection of CSAH 44 and TH 14. With our county population growing and traffic volumes only expected to increase at this location, building this interchange is absolutely critical to helping keep people safe.”
The Corridors of Commerce program was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 2013 with a goal of focusing transportation investments on state highway projects that directly and indirectly foster economic growth for the state of Minnesota.
More information about the Corridors of Commerce program can be found on MnDOT’s website.
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Media contact, Emma Diercks, Communications Specialist, 507-328-6166.