Highway 14 construction: When will it end?

Aug. 9—Dear Answer Man: I can't drive 55. But I've been forced to do so for the whole summer as I travel on U.S. Highway 14 west of Byron. When will this construction project end? — Sammy Hagar Fan.

Dear Sammy Fan,

First, I love the reference to Sammy's 1984 hit. Answer Man has been stuck in traffic through the work zone a few times this summer, and I've been lucky to get my hooptie out of second gear as well.

Sometimes that's for the best. After all, there are workers along the roadway putting down pavement, and it's always a good idea to keep them safe.

But yes, Highway 14 has not been its normal racetrack self this summer.

So, when will the highway return to normal — or even better now that the pavement has been improved?

Well, to find out the 511 (traffic information), we reached out to our old friend Mike Dougherty, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation District 6.

"We anticipate the project to be complete on Aug. 15," Dougherty said on Tuesday. "Paving is done and crews are working on paving shoulders, but that road also needs rumble strips and then striping to fully open. That should occur in the next 10 days or so, if weather cooperates."

That makes Aug. 15 or thereabouts the day the road opens, though there could be some lane closures as work wraps up, he said.

Other parts of the $12.98 million project are the installation of median barrier high-tension cables from Dodge Center and heading east and the construction of a new J-turn at Highway 14 and Dodge County Road 9 just west of Kasson.

"This is the second J-turn along Hwy 14 between Rochester and Owatonna," Dougherty said. "We built one at Highway 14 and Olmsted County Road 3 east of Byron in 2023, and it's been working well."

Dougherty said for the repaving portion of the project from Byron to Kasson, one of the final pieces of the project is striping the lanes, so once that's happening the end of construction — and one lane in each direction — is near.

"Again, weather is a key element in determining when work is finished," Dougherty said.

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