Good evening I'm Dion Cheney.And I'm Nicole Winters, thanks for joining us.A hundred million dollar request from Congressman Tim Walz may push construction forward on Highway 14, a road that is said to be one of the deadliest in the state.News 12's Jennifer Hudspeth talked with the Congressman to find out why he and so many others say this issue is a top priority.North Mankato mayor Gary Zellmer knows just how dangerous Highway 14 can be... his brother in law and many close friends have been killed on the stretch of road.Gary Zellmer says, "As a safety factor, it's touched me very much personally."To Zellmer It's a safety factor that needs to be addressed immediately.Zellmer says, "You don't have to go more than three miles down this road from this very spot and we could point out where at least 5 people have died in the past few years, and that's tragic in itself, and that is just enough that we have to stop it, we can't have any more."Congressman Tim Walz agrees...which is why he is for 103 million dollars in funding for Highway 14 in the new Surface Transportation Bill being written by Congress.The request would go toward highway upgrades in Owatonna and New Ulm, as well as interchange projects in Mankato and North Mankato.Congressman Walz says, "This is a smart investment, and this project that's been supported by local officials for decades, it's one that has strong coalitions up and down, and it makes sense to me, that we are truly building a Highway to somewhere.""This is where the interchange between Highway 14 and County State Aid Highway 41 would be.Officials are saying that not only would it make transportation safer, but that it would also be a good economic investment for the community, bringing more jobs to the area."Walz says, "It's going to create jobs, it's going to create jobs for the future, it's going to take care of what's been a bottleneck for a long time."Zeller says, "In the next couple of months this entire area is going to be under construction with new development, and this is new jobs, it's private money that's putting people to work, it's not government handouts, this is what growth is about."Growth mayor Zellmer will continue to advocate...Zellmer says, "We're going to keep pushing..."Pushing for both safety and economic development.In North Mankato, Jennifer Hudspeth News 12.