Construction continues on Highway 14 as autumn begins

COURTLAND, Minn. (KEYC) - Highway 14 near New Ulm closed down for the multi-year construction project back in April, and crews are kicking things into overdrive before winter comes in just a few short months.

Minnesota Department of Transportation officials say that the project is right on schedule, as a pleasant end of summer meant that construction crews could meet all of their goals, and they are right on pace with where they want to be.

“So for the most part we had a lot of open-ended things that we wanted to accomplish, and we have accomplished all those items, such as working on the intersection at CSAH 24 there in Courtland, a few of the box carvers being placed in some embankments,” said Todd Kjolstad, project manager at MnDOT.

Crews are aware that fall can give way to winter without warning sooner than they think, and they’re working to get as much done as possible before they near the winter stopping point.

County Road 12 will also be reconstructed later in the project as well, but MnDOT has decided to leave construction on that road until 2023, leaving it open as an additional route during the winter.

“We’re definitely going to be leaving that open this winter. And so that’s going to provide people access from CSAH 21, which is a relatively significant roadway here in Nicollet County onto Highway 14 and ultimately either into Courtland itself or even a consideration would be for the pits and definitely Minnesota Valley Lutheran School,” Kjolstad explained. “We want to make sure the kids have a nice safe route into school there in the wintertime.”

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