U.S. Highway 14 advocacy group: State Senate’s transportation plan passes over Highway 14

Below is a press release that the U.S. Highway 14 Partnership sent to local media outlets today. A printable, PDF version of the press release, along with the reference letter to legislators, can be found here.

For Immediate Release: May 9, 2016

Contact: Carolyn Jackson
ccjackson@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1928

U.S. Highway 14 advocacy group: State Senate’s transportation plan passes over Highway 14

ST. PAUL—The U.S. Highway Partnership is shocked that the Minnesota Senate’s newly revamped “comprehensive” transportation plan underfunds the Corridors of Commerce program, thus throwing a wrench into plans to finish the expansion of U.S. Highway 14.

“The new Senate proposal is not comprehensive when it leaves out Highway 14,” said Bob Buessman, mayor of New Ulm and president of the Partnership. “There are only 24 miles left to complete Highway 14 from Rochester to New Ulm. We have the ends completed, and there are only two middle sections left to go. But without cash for Corridors of Commerce, we are left waiting. We don’t understand why the Minnesota Senate did not address this problem.”

The Senate presented its updated transportation bill as a potential “compromise” with the House during a conference committee hearing on Friday. Under the revised bill, funding for the Corridors of Commerce program was reduced from $800 million down to $500 million over 10 years. The cost to finish Highway 14 alone is estimated at $300 million.

The Legislature created the Corridors of Commerce program in 2013 to help projects like Highway 14. The program is designed to connect regional economies, like New Ulm to Rochester. However, because Corridors of Commerce funds go to a pool of projects, there are limits on how it can use trunk highway bond proceeds. Bond proceeds can only be used for construction, not land acquisition or planning. This poses a challenge for Highway 14, as there are currently no funds to buy the land necessary to finish the project. Without a direct appropriation of some kind of cash for Corridors of Commerce, Highway 14 won’t get finished.

“The need to complete this project is not going away,” said Steven Gray, a Dodge County commissioner and vice president of the Partnership. “Our communities will continue to miss economic development opportunities and our residents still have to live with the safety hazards of a very dangerous strip of highway. It is time to draft a plan to complete Highway 14, with both cash and sufficient trunk highway bonding for Corridors of Commerce.”

The U.S. Highway 14 Partnership sent the attached letter to the transportation conference committee expressing the need for more funding for the Corridors of Commerce program as part of a comprehensive transportation bill.

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