Highway 14 won’t be widened for 5 or 6 years

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Mark Dayton says the state will take steps to improve the safety of Highway 14 between North Mankato and Nicollet.

But, that won’t include widening the highway to four lanes until possibly 2017 or 2018.

Dayton was in Mankato Tuesday where he outlined three phases to improve safety on the dangerous stretch of highway. The first phase involves increased traffic enforcement to crack down on reckless drivers. The second phase is a widened median to create a buffer between the two lanes of traffic. The final phase involves expanding the highway to four lanes. The total cost is estimated at $21 million to $35 million.