Claremont, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced the location of the public celebration for the Highway 14 expansion project.

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The celebration will be held on November 9th at 10 a.m. at the Dodge County Road 3 interchange to mark the opening of traffic on the new Highway 14 route between Dodge Center and Owatonna. Traffic is expected to transition onto the new highway after the ceremony and later that day.

Directions To Site of Celebration

Highway 14 to Claremont

  • From the west (Owatonna) turn right (south) at Dodge County Road 1 (West Street). Al-Corn Ethanol Plant will be on your right.
    • Follow Dodge County Road 1 (West Street) south to West Front Street in Claremont. Turn left (east). Follow the road through Claremont approximately 2 miles to where Dodge County Road 3 turns right (south).
  • From the east (Dodge Center/Rochester) turn left (south) at Dodge County Road 1 (West Street). Al-Corn Ethanol Plant is at this corner.
    • Follow Dodge County Road 1 (West Street) south to West Front Street in Claremont. Turn left (east). Follow the road through Claremont approximately 2 miles where Dodge County Road 3 turns right (south).
  • You’ll stop at railroads tracks and then proceed to the Highway 14 interchange.
  • Travel across the interchange and use the roundabout on the south side to return across the bridge where you will be directed down the Highway 14 westbound off-ramp.

Parking will be on the westbound lanes at the shoulders and the off-ramp. After the event, traffic will be directed westbound to the adjacent on-ramp where traffic will go up the ramp. Westbound lanes will not be open at that time.

A program of speakers will provide remarks and the Triton High School Band will play the national anthem to start the ceremony. A ceremonial ribbon cutting is planned after the event.

Motorists should also remember that construction work continues at the site as crews prepare to open the road to traffic. There is additional work that will take place on the project site to complete the project in the spring/summer of 2022.

Current detours

• Trucks and buses on Hwy 14 that are required to stop for at-grade railroad crossings should follow detour signs to avoid the rail cross near Steele County Road 180, because no pullover lane is available. Trucks will utilize County Road 180 and Steele County Road 43 in each direction
• The detour will be in place until the new Hwy 14 route opens for traffic

The project expanded 12.5 miles of Highway 14 from two lanes to four lanes between Dodge Center and Owatonna to complete a continuous four-lane road between Mankato and Rochester.

The project is intended to improve the capacity, safety, travel times, and access between Rochester and Owatonna, as well as the I-35 corridor. The expansion area is a new route for Highway 14, which will stay south of the railroad tracks on the west side of the project, travel south of Claremont, and connect where the four-lane highway is west of Dodge Center.

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