For Immediate Release
Contact: Shane Zahrt

Below is a statement from Kevin Raney, president of the U.S. Highway 14 Partnership and a member of the Owatonna City Council, regarding today’s announcement that the U.S. Highway 14 Nicollet to New Ulm expansion project is a recipient of a $22 million federal BUILD Grant.

“The federal BUILD Grant announced today is fantastic news for southern Minnesota. This grant will help ensure that Highway 14 expansion between Nicollet and New Ulm can proceed as quickly as possible. We have waited too long and lost too many neighbors on Highway 14 over the years, but the progress we’ve seen this year is a source of hope. Completion of this project will save lives and help our local economies emerge from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We thank the members of the Highway 14 Partnership and the advocates who have pushed for change for many decades. We also thank Governor Walz, MnDOT Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and elected officials from both parties who have worked tirelessly and pursued every opportunity to fund the project. The collaboration that has taken place across multiple levels of government to keep this project moving despite the COVID-19 pandemic is living proof that when we pull together, Minnesotans can tackle big problems.”

The U.S. Highway 14 Partnership is an advocacy organization supporting the four-lane expansion of Highway 14. Formed in 1998, the Partnership includes local governments, private businesses and other organizations across Southern Minnesota. Follow the Partnership on online at ushighway14.com and on Twitter at @Hwy14Pshp.

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