The long-awaited Highway 14 construction project in southern Minnesota appears to be back on track. The project was nearly derailed six months ago by bids 31% higher than expected. But Mn/DOT Project Manager Matt Rottermond says they were surprised at how low the lowest bid opened Friday was. The bid by Mathiowetz Construction of Sleepy Eye came in at just under $9.4-million. That compares with a low bid of $23.6-million last August, which prompted Mn/DOT to break the $18-million project into two halves. The other half will be bid this fall. The project includes a new interchange at Highway 14 and Nicollet County Road 41 in North Mankato, and later adds more than a mile of 4-lane expressway heading west towards New Ulm.