The Mankato Free Press

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency

Gov. Mark Dayton and local Owatonna officials celebrated the completion of another part of Highway 14 to four-lane last week, but all seemed to acknowledge we still have a long way to go.

The goal among a coalition of business and government along the highway from Rochester to New Ulm has been to complete a four-lane expansion to this highway that is the poster child for a “corridor of commerce.”

There has generally been bipartisan support for the expansion at the Legislature, but there remain significant differences in how to pay for it.

So it was a somewhat hopeful sign that Democrat Gov. Mark Dayton celebrated the recent opening of a 2.5-mile stretch between Owatonna and Dodge Center with GOP Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee John Petersburg of Waseca.

The 2.5-mile section of the highway celebrated last week was just a small part of the stretch with 13 miles remaining to be expanded. Transportation Commissioner Charles Zelle estimated the cost of completing that at $160 million, a daunting figure given the state’s stalemate on raising road funding revenues.

A bipartisan vote at the divided Legislature did help produce the Corridors of Commerce program to address projects like the Owatonna to Dodge Center stretch of Highway 14. Unfortunately, dozens of projects around the state had to share about $330 million, which allowed projects to get started but be a long way from completed.

That is why a permanent and stable funding mechanism is needed. Democrats have proposed raising the gas tax while Republicans have suggested diverting existing sales tax from motor vehicles parts to help fund the transportation needs.

But many businesses and business associations, including Greater Mankato Growth, have gone on record supporting a “permanent and stable” funding source. One of those such sources would be a gas tax.

Dayton said he was hopeful the Legislature would be able to break the impasse on highway funding next year. Petersburg said: “We’re all willing to do the investment.” He seemed to suggest there was some “figuring out” to do on how to pay for it. We hope so.

Businesses have said unequivocally they need an expanded Highway 14 to do business on southern Minnesota’s “corridor of commerce.” As Viracon Vice President Jim Wendorff said at the celebration event: “Good transportation really isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue. It’s an issue that affects all of us.”