When growth isn’t planned for, it’s easy to see the effects: tangled traffic, undersized highways, dangerous intersections, excessive traffic signals.

Planned growth isn’t so easy to see — when things work well they aren’t really noticed.

That’s why Blue Earth County should be commended for planning ahead and helping to ensure that some day in the future the traffic between Mankato and Eagle Lake will be smooth and calm.

The county is in the final stages of a major project to begin next year that will extend the “airport road” straight south with a full interchange built at Highway 14 and the road then extended to the old Highway 14 (Madison Avenue).

The county, and the city of Mankato, have been targeting the area for highway improvements because it is a prime economic development center. As the area is developed with commercial businesses and housing, the $25 million highway project will help pull more north-south traffic off the already busy Highway 22 onto the improved airport road.

Local governments in the area, including Mankato, North Mankato and Nicollet and Blue Earth counties, have for years been aware of the need for long-range highway planning. The MATAPS study (Mankato Area Transportation and Planning Study) was done a few years ago to identify areas of future growth, plan for highways and other infrastructure and get area leaders on the same page to lobby for funds.

That foresight has already paid off with projects such as the Victory Drive extension and it will continue to benefit the local economy — and the safety of drivers — for decades to come.