Motorists who use Dodge County Road H between Dodge County Road 5 and Dodge Center will need to seek alternate routes beginning June 4 when the road is closed.
The closure of the road near the underpass of existing Hwy 14 will be permanent on the west side of the underpass and the road will be changed into a cul-de-sac. On the east side of the underpass, the road closure will be a year-long and eventually redirect the road to connect with the old portion of Hwy 14 once the new route is completed.
Background
The Hwy 14 expansion project is building a new four-lane road between Owatonna and Dodge Center. The work is necessary for the new road to be prepared to tie into the existing four-lane road west of Dodge Center.
Overall, the project is expanding 12.5 miles of Hwy 14 from two lanes to four lanes between Dodge Center and Owatonna to complete a continuous four-lane road between New Ulm and Rochester. The expansion area is a new route for Hwy 14, which will stay south of the railroad tracks on the west side of the project, travel south of Claremont and connect with the four-lane highway west of Dodge Center.
Shafer Contracting of Shafer, Minn., is the prime contractor for the $107,997,119 construction project. Traffic is expected to be on the new route in fall of 2021 with additional work planned for 2022 to complete the project.
Safety
Motorists may encounter lane closures or lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, equipment and other unexpected obstacles when driving near or through work zones. MnDOT advises motorists to:
- Find up-to-date information about traffic and road conditions at org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store
- Expect delays, especially during peak travel times
- Go hands-free and minimize other distractions (e.g., don’t eat or drink while driving
- Follow posted speed limits; the fine for speeding in a work zone is $300
- Avoid making lane changes within work zones
Stay updated, informed:
- Learn more or encourage others to sign up for email or text mail updates at the MnDOT construction project website
- Join the MnDOT Southeast Minnesota Facebook group for news, information and events in the region
- Follow us on MnDOT Southeast on Twitter for updates, information and initiatives.