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By Dustin Kass
Winona Daily News
Highway 14 between Stockton, Minn., and Lewiston, Minn., will not reopen until sometime after Thanksgiving, at least two weeks later than previously projected.
Officials in September estimated the road would open by mid-November, but the excavation project at The Arches, three miles west of Stockton, has grown in scale since that time, delaying its completion, said Kristine Hernandez, Minnesota Department of Transportation spokeswoman. The project is designed to prevent rock slides, and the excavation work will set the bluff that borders the highway back as much as 30 feet in some areas.
The project will not be completed until after Thanksgiving, but no specific reopening date has been set, Hernandez said. Crews have been working
24 hours a day at the site since Oct. 8.
Hauling an extra 20,000 cubic yards of rock and an added emphasis on erosion control, neither of which was in the original contract, contributed to the delay, she said. Officials estimated that about 200,000 cubic yards of rock would need to be hauled for the work, but that number has increased 10 percent, Hernandez said.
The additional hauling will cost about $175,000, on top of the $2.2 million initial project estimate.
Additional erosion-control measures were also added. Crews initially planned to add top soil to the excavated area, but now they will install woven fiber blankets, which will be sprayed with a seed mixture, as well as oak and ash tree seeds to fortify the area against future erosion. The additional measures will cost $130,000.
Drivers may still experience intermittent delays after the road opens, when crews stop traffic for blasting, and additional turf work along the highway will be done in the spring.
Dustin Kass may be reached at (507) 453-3513 or dustin.kass@lee.net.
