Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Properties are being acquired, and site preparation work is expected to begin this fall on a major highway interchange project on the west edge of Rochester.

The Olmsted County Board was given an update today on the $91 million Highway 14/County Road 44 interchange project. It has been in the works for years, with the preliminary planning process beginning in 2022.

Groundbreaking Expected in Spring of Year

The county commissioners were told that $62.5 million of the projected project cost will be covered by the state. Olmsted County will contribute $29.2 million in funding, with just under $11 million coming from the 2012 sales tax and $5 million appropriated by the State Legislature through an infrastructure bill that was approved at the end of the 2023 session. The county’s total funding also includes $7.3 million in federal funds.

The presentation to the County Board indicated that a total of 30 properties along Highway 14/County Road 44 will be impacted by the project. Those properties have 22 owners; all have received offers from the county, and 10 have already agreed to acquisition terms. County officials say they hope to take possession of all of the needed properties by September 20.

Olmsted County officials previously described the Highway 14/County Road 44 intersection as one of the busiest and most dangerous in southeast Minnesota. An estimated 30,000 vehicles per day travel on Hwy. 14 between Rochester and Byron, according to Olmsted County traffic figures.

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The elected officials were told that the actual construction of the new interchange is expected to begin next spring and be completed by fall 2027.

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