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Overview
Status
- Preferred route selected
- Final environmental document complete
Location
- From New Ulm to North Mankato map (PDF 2.2 MB)
Schedule
- Safety Audit 2012
- New Ulm Minnesota River Bridge in 2018
- Remaining unscheduled/unfunded
Description
- Four-lane expansion
- Bridge replacement
- City Bypasses
Road audit identifies safety issues and provides alternatives
MnDOT conducted a safety audit of Hwy 14 from New Ulm to Mankato from January to March 2012
The independent Road Safety Audit (RSA) found a number of safety issues and provides alterntives to improve the safety on the Highway 14 Corridor. (Road Safety Audit Summary)
The audit crash analysis indicates that compared to other two-lane rural roadways, Highway 14 has about one-third the number of road runoff crashes, but three times as many head-on crashes than the state-wide average. The audit also found a large number of vehicles crossing the center line, even though rumble strips and other safety measures (improved signing, additional lighting, etc.) were installed in 2008-09.
The audit findings also note many diagonal, or skewed, intersections that make sightlines difficult at highway crossings. Human factors found in the review include lower than average seat-belt usage and distracted driving. Speeds on Highway 14 were determined to be similar to other rural roadways and average 10 mph above posted speed limits.
To address the head-on crashes, the report puts forth four alternatives for consideration that address the center of the roadway. Two recommendations include creating a buffer area by restriping the roadway for errant driver recovery; one would be 4-foot wide and the second would be 12-foot wide and would include turn lanes. The third re-striping option is a new design for Minnesota called a two plus one road. Motorists would have passing options only in the two lane sections and a barrier would run down the middle of the road. The fourth alternative is a four-lane divided highway.
The Highway 14/15 intersection at New Ulm was also determined a safety issue with its curvature, steep grades and a large number of turning vehicles. The audit recommends this intersection include an all-way stop, a roundabout or an interchange.
MnDOT will complete an analysis of the recommendations including cost and look into available funding. The highway improvement recommendations are not low cost and MnDOT currently does not have funding designated for expanding the entire corridor to a four-lane expressway.
For assistance with the driving behavior, MnDOT will work with the South Central Toward Zero Deaths Coalition. TZD has already began work to increase seatbelt use and reduce distracted driving.
Final Environmental Impact Statement
The complete Final Environmental Impact Statement including the Summary has been reviewed by MnDOT and Federal Highway Administration. It documents the proposed project, potential environmental impacts, proposed mitigation and provides responses to comments in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Preferred Route (W1 and E1)
Staying on the existing alignment, except for the expected north bypass of Courtland and a close south bypass of Nicollet is the preferred alignment for an expansion of Highway 14 to four-lanes from New Ulm to North Mankato.
Building four-lanes on the existing alignment west of Courtland (W1) creates some challenges, but the option of a new roadway on top of the bluff would be very costly to construct and maintain as well as cause significant impacts to farmland.
The north bypass of Courtland is the route the city has planned for several years.
The preferred route east of Courtland (E1) will require Mn/DOT to account for wetlands and coordinate with Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, but dramatically reduces farmland impacts and better serves the city of Nicollet.
The preferred alignment is a consistent design (four lanes with limited access) with Highway 14 east of Mankato, improves travel safety by making the intersection with Highway 15 near New Ulm safer (a full interchange) and improves entrances to Courtland and Nicollet, and improves mobility to better serve increased traffic and the high truck count on Highway 14. Staying on the existing alignment minimizes impacts and reduces costs to maintain parallel routes.