Interstate 35E (I-35E) is an
Interstate Highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
in the US state of
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, passing through downtown
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. It is one of two through routes for
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
through the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...
of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and Saint Paul, the other being
I-35W Interstate 35W may refer to:
* Interstate 35W (Texas), an Interstate highway serving Fort Worth, Texas, and its suburbs
* Interstate 35W (Minnesota), a Interstate highway serving Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its suburbs
**The I-35W Mississippi Riv ...
through Minneapolis. Thus, both ends of I-35E are shared with I-35W and I-35.
During the early years of the Interstate Highway System, branching Interstates with directional suffixes, such as N, S, E, and W, were common nationwide. On every other Interstate nationwide, these directional suffixes have been phased out by redesignating the suffixed route numbers with a loop or spur route number designation (such as
I-270 in Maryland, which was once I-70S) or, in some cases, were assigned a different route number (such as
I-76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
, which was once I-80S). In the case of I-35 in the Twin Cities area, since neither branch is clearly the main route and both branches return to a unified Interstate beyond the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, officials at the
(AASHTO) have allowed the suffixes of E and W in Minnesota to remain in the present day. I-35 also splits into
I-35E Interstate 35E may refer to:
*Interstate 35E (Texas), a long branch route serving Dallas, Texas
*Interstate 35E (Minnesota), a long branch route serving St. Paul, Minnesota
See also
* Interstate 35W (disambiguation)
{{road disambiguation
Lis ...
and
I-35W Interstate 35W may refer to:
* Interstate 35W (Texas), an Interstate highway serving Fort Worth, Texas, and its suburbs
* Interstate 35W (Minnesota), a Interstate highway serving Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its suburbs
**The I-35W Mississippi Riv ...
in
Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, for similar reasons as the I-35 split in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.
Similar to the Texas split, the Minnesota version of I-35E continues the
exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit. In some countries, such as the United States, it is also marked on a sign in the go ...
s of I-35, while those of I-35W begin with 1 just north of the split. I-35E also carries the
legislative route
In the United States, a legislative route (LR) or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, ...
of I-35—unsigned legislative route 390—through the Twin Cities. On the other hand, the portion of I-35E through the
West Seventh neighborhood of Saint Paul is a controversial four-lane
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
that heavy trucks are prohibited from using.
I-35E in Minnesota is in length.
Route description
The southern terminus of I-35E is at exit 88A in
Burnsville, where I-35 splits into I-35E and I-35W. While I-35W heads north into Minneapolis, I-35E takes a northeasterly path into Saint Paul. There is no access between I-35E and I-35W here, but
Dakota County Road 42 (exit 88B), immediately to the north, connects the two Interstates in Burnsville. Major interchanges south of Saint Paul include
Minnesota State Highway 77
Minnesota State Highway 77 (MN 77) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with 138th Street (north of Dakota County Road 42) in Apple Valley and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with Stat ...
(MN 77, signed as
Cedar Avenue
Cedar Avenue is a roadway that runs from Minneapolis to Northfield in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The roadway is known as Minnesota State Highway 77 in the busiest portion of the route, from Minneapolis to Apple Valley. The portions north and ...
—exit 92) at
Apple Valley–
Eagan Eagan may refer to:
People
* Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress
* Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player
* Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman
* James Eagan (1926-2000), American politician from Missouri
* John J. ...
and
I-494
Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The road is coupled with I- ...
(exits 99A and 99B) in
Mendota Heights
Mendota Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
Geography
According to ...
. Between exits 94 and 97, the highway deviates from its relatively straight path to avoid Blackhawk Lake. As it crosses I-494, I-35E turns more to the north, crossing
MN 62 (exits 101A and 101B) and
MN 13
The Messinian is in the geologic timescale the last age or uppermost stage of the Miocene. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma and 5.333 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It follows the Tortonian and is followed by the Zanclean, the first ...
(Great River Road, exit 102) in Mendota Heights before crossing the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
on the
Lexington Bridge into the city of
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. This portion of I-35E is four lanes wide (two in each direction), except between MN 77 and MN 62, where it carries six lanes. The Lexington Bridge carries six lanes—four throughlanes and the exit and entrance lanes for MN 13—as well as a
bicycle and pedestrian path.
The bridge has an innovative automatic
anti-icing
Deicing is the process of removing snow, ice or frost from a surface. Anti-icing is the application of chemicals that not only deice but also remain on a surface and continue to delay the reformation of ice for a certain period of time, or preve ...
system that sprays
potassium acetate
Potassium acetate (CH3COOK) is the potassium salt of acetic acid. It is a hygroscopic solid at room temperature.
Preparation
It can be prepared by treating a potassium-containing base such as potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate with acetic ...
onto the bridge surface to prevent frost and ice formation in inclement weather.
The auxiliary lanes from MN 13 leave at the first exit in Saint Paul, a half interchange with
Shepard Road (exit 103A) with ramps toward the bridge. Shepard Road is a four-lane roadway with minimal intersections that follows the Mississippi River northeast into downtown Saint Paul. Immediately after Shepard Road is
MN 5
Minnesota State Highway 5 (MN 5) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its Intersection (road), intersection with Minnesota State Highway 19, MN 19 and Minnesota State Highway 22, MN 22 in Gaylord, Minnesota, Gaylord and continues ...
(7th Street West, exit 103B), which leads northeast to downtown through the heart of the
West Seventh neighborhood. The portion of I-35E between MN 5 and downtown is a mostly sunken four-lane
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
with a
speed limit
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expres ...
of (this portion is sometimes referred to as the "practice freeway" by locals
), a ban on trucks over
gross vehicle weight
Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity.
Curb or kerb weight
Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...
, and median landscaping. This parkway was built instead of a typical six-lane freeway because of local opposition. Major interchanges on this section include
Ayd Mill Road (exit 104B), a sunken four-lane road to the northwest, and Kellogg Boulevard (exit 106B), which extends in both directions as part of a loop around downtown.
[
The four lanes of I-35E pass through ]Downtown Saint Paul
Downtown Saint Paul is the central business district of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River to the south, University Avenue to the north, US 52 to the east, and Kellogg Avenue to the west. It is bounded ...
in the center of the six lanes of I-94/ U.S. Highway 52 (US 52), with a short overlap
Overlap may refer to:
* In set theory, an overlap of elements shared between sets is called an intersection, as in a Venn diagram.
* In music theory, overlap is a synonym for reinterpretation of a chord at the boundary of two musical phrases
* O ...
occupying the blocks between 11th and 12th streets. Despite this short overlap, there is no weaving between the two highways, since an exit in each direction of I-35E—exit 107A from I-35E north to I-94 east/US 52 south and exit 107B from I-35E south to I-94 west/US 52 north—takes traffic that would move to the right in the overlap instead to the right of the entire roadway. There are no interchanges on the common segment, and no direct access from I-35E north to I-94 west/US 52 north or I-94 east/US 52 south to I-35E south. Kellogg Boulevard provides an indirect connection; Ayd Mill Road, further west, nears I-94/US 52 but does not connect without several turns and traffic lights. Unlike the west split of I-35E and I-94/US 52, all ramps are present at the east split; among other uses, the I-35E south to I-94 east/US 52 north and I-94 west/US 52 north to I-35E north ramps carry traffic following US 10, which overlaps I-35E north of downtown, and truck traffic using the nearby Lafayette Freeway ( US 52) to avoid the parkway through the West Seventh neighborhood.[
From Downtown Saint Paul north to the junction with ]I-694
Interstate 694 (I-694) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the US state of Minnesota. The western terminus of the route is at its junction with I-94, I-494, and US H ...
west (exit 113) in Little Canada, where US 10 also leaves I-35E, the highway carries three lanes of traffic in each direction, in addition to a single MnPASS
E-ZPass Minnesota, formerly MnPass (Pronounced "Minn pass") is the brand name associated with a series of high occupancy toll lanes (HO/T lanes) in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area of Minnesota and is also associated with the electron ...
HOV lane. Major interchanges here include Cayuga Street (exit 108), and MN 36 (exits 111A and 111B). An overlap of about exists between the two interchanges with I-694 (exits 113 and 114). Heading northbound on I-35E, the four lanes split into three for I-35E northbound and two for I-694 westbound, and then three lanes from I-694 eastbound enter on the right. These six lanes then split into three on the left for I-35E northbound and three on the right for I-694 eastbound; after the turn north, a lane joins on the right from I-694 westbound traffic. The configuration in the other direction, where I-35E southbound and I-694 westbound merge, is similar, but with only five total lanes instead of six where the freeways overlap.[ A four-year ]construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
project, called " Unweave the Weave", beginning in 2004, was completed in 2008 and eliminated weaving where previously three I-35E lanes were inside three I-694 lanes, and left lane onramps existed.
I-35E is four lanes wide north of I-694; the third lane added northbound from the I-694 westbound ramp exits immediately onto County Road E (exit 115) in Vadnais Heights. Other than the northern terminus of I-35E (exit 127) in Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
near Forest Lake, where it merges with I-35W to reform I-35, there are only four interchanges on I-35E north of I-694 between Vadnais Heights and Columbus, all for county roads.[
]
History
Early plans for the Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
include a route along roughly the same alignment as the present I-35 through the Twin Cities area but are not detailed enough to show exactly how the cities would be served. When preliminary urban routes were laid out in 1955, a split alignment was chosen to serve both cities equally. South of the Twin Cities, I-35 followed the corridor of old US 65, which had followed Lyndale Avenue between Burnsville and Downtown Minneapolis. I-35E was located parallel to MN 13, which cut northeast to Saint Paul from old US 65 south of the Minnesota River
The Minnesota River ( dak, Mnísota Wakpá) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa.
It ris ...
. North of the metropolitan area, I-35 closely paralleled US 61, which passed through Saint Paul; I-35W paralleled old US 8 from Minneapolis northeast through New Brighton and then to the present day I-35E/I-35W split at Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
near Forest Lake, near where old US 8 had joined US 61. The Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
defined I-35E as part of unmarked Legislative Route
In the United States, a legislative route (LR) or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, ...
390, which stretched south to the Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
state line and north to the city of Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
along I-35.
I-35E was completed north of downtown Saint Paul in 1970. The first section to open ran north from Maryland Avenue in Saint Paul to I-694
Interstate 694 (I-694) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the US state of Minnesota. The western terminus of the route is at its junction with I-94, I-494, and US H ...
in Little Canada; this was completed in the early 1960s, concurrently with I-694 west to old MN 49 (Rice Street). Later that decade, I-35E was extended south to Downtown Saint Paul, opening first to Pennsylvania Avenue and then to I-94, including the I-35E/I-94 concurrency (and I-94 in both directions). In 1970,[ I-35E was extended north along the I-35E/I-694 concurrency in Little Canada– Vadnais Heights and also extended northbound to its northern terminus at ]Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
near Forest Lake; the adjacent sections of I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
, I-35W Interstate 35W may refer to:
* Interstate 35W (Texas), an Interstate highway serving Fort Worth, Texas, and its suburbs
* Interstate 35W (Minnesota), a Interstate highway serving Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its suburbs
**The I-35W Mississippi Riv ...
, and I-694 opened at about the same time.
Control Section 1982
(PDF)
Control Section 6280
(PDF)
Control Section 6281
(PDF)
Control Section 0282: I-35E from south to north
(PDF)
The southern half of I-35E in the metro area took a lot longer to build. Its first section—a short stretch from MN 110 north to MN 5
Minnesota State Highway 5 (MN 5) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its Intersection (road), intersection with Minnesota State Highway 19, MN 19 and Minnesota State Highway 22, MN 22 in Gaylord, Minnesota, Gaylord and continues ...
, including the Lexington Bridge over the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
—opened in the mid-1960s. Even though the connecting piece of I-35W and I-35 at the southern terminus of I-35E in Burnsville opened in the mid-1960s, it was not until the mid-1980s that I-35E was completed south of MN 110 at Mendota Heights
Mendota Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
Geography
According to ...
and southbound through Eagan Eagan may refer to:
People
* Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress
* Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player
* Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman
* James Eagan (1926-2000), American politician from Missouri
* John J. ...
and Apple Valley, where there had been a missing link of I-35E for 20 years.[ Construction was delayed by opposition from nearby residents in Burnsville and from ]environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
s over the proposed alignment across Blackhawk Lake. The final plan involved a new alignment avoiding the lake, as well as a less complicated interchange at I-494
Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The road is coupled with I- ...
in Mendota Heights, eliminating access to MN 55 that was part of the earlier plans.
Controversy through the West Seventh neighborhood of Saint Paul
The missing piece through the West Seventh neighborhood of Saint Paul, from MN 5 (7th Street West) northeast to I-94 in Downtown Saint Paul, was held up by controversy. Construction began in 1964 and was planned for completion in the 1970s as a typical six-lane freeway, but, in late 1969, a group of neighbors in the area had formed "Residents in Protest 35E" (R.I.P. 35E) to oppose the completion of I-35E. The group convinced the city to drop its support, and, in August, it filed a joint lawsuit
-
A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
against the Minnesota Highway Department (MHD) and the US Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
along with four neighborhood associations and eight citizens. The parties quickly reached an agreement, favorable to the plaintiffs, to halt construction pending an environmental impact statement (EIS).
The Saint Paul City Council decided in late 1974 to support I-35E, possibly due to the influence of proponents. R.I.P. 35E proposed an alternative to the original plan and convinced the city council to go along with it. The plan included a four-lane boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
expansion of Pleasant Avenue (the street chosen for the I-35E alignment), with another route, such as Shepard Road or the nearby Lafayette Freeway, forming part of I-35E. The group opposed any direct connection of this parkway to I-94 near the State Capitol, where I-35E and I-94 were to merge. The EIS was completed in early 1975, identifying noise pollution
Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of them are harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is main ...
, air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
, vibration
Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic function, periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum ...
s, and slope stability
Slope stability analysis is a static or dynamic, analytical or empirical method to evaluate the stability of earth and rock-fill dams, embankments, excavated slopes, and natural slopes in soil and rock. Slope stability refers to the condition of i ...
as the main concerns. In addition to the nearby location of historic districts, hospitals were worried about the effects of vibrations on sensitive operations; MHD solved this problem while the report was being developed. The EIS identified the primary benefit of completing I-35E as connecting Downtown Saint Paul to the Interstate Highway System and determined that the original Pleasant Avenue corridor was the best choice but with minor changes, such as lowering the freeway below Grand Avenue and Ramsey Street.[
A bill passed by the ]Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
on May 31, 1975, imposed a moratorium on building I-35E, as well as other area freeways, such as the canceled I-335 project and the MN 55 (Hiawatha Avenue) expansion project. This law defined several new legislative route
In the United States, a legislative route (LR) or legislative highway is a highway defined by laws passed in a state legislature. The numbering of such highways may or may not correspond to the numbers familiar to the public as part of the state, ...
s, which "may be added by order of the commissioner of transportation to the trunk highway system" (as opposed to other such routes, which were added to that system by the legislature):
Legislative Route No. 380. Beginning at a point on Route No. 390 -35Eat its intersection with Shepard Road in the city of Saint Paul; thence extending in a northeasterly direction generally following along the course of Shepard Road to a point on Route No. 112 afayette Freeway thence extending in a northeasterly direction to a point on Route No. 392 -94easterly of the downtown area of Saint Paul; providing a connector route between Route No. 390 and Routes No. 112 and 392;
Legislative Route No. 381. Beginning at a point on Route No. 112 afayette Freeway northerly of the Lafayette Street bridge in the city of Saint Paul; thence extending in a northwesterly direction to a point on Route No. 390 -35E southerly of Maryland Avenue in the city of Saint Paul; providing a connector route between Route No. 112 and Route No. 390; and
Legislative Route No. 382. Beginning at a point on Route No. 390 -35Eat its junction with Route No. 111 N 5 thence extending in a general northerly direction, within the corridor of the right of way already acquired on the effective date of this act, for Route No. 390, to a point on Short Line Road; thence extending in a northeasterly direction within said corridor of right of way to the intersection of Pleasant Avenue and Kellogg Boulevard in the city of Saint Paul.
Legislative Routes 380 and 381 provided for an alternate alignment of I-35E along Shepard Road and a northerly extension of the Lafayette Freeway, while Legislative Route 382 was a "four-lane parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
facility" that MHD could build along the original alignment of I-35E, but without a connection to I-94. The city announced its support of the parkway in August 1976.[
An act passed on April 5, 1978, added a condition to the definition of Legislative Route 390 (I-35E):
]Legislative Route No. 390 -35Eshall not include any portion of Legislative Route No. 382 he parkwayas designated by section 161.117 or any portion of any route connecting Route No. 382 to Route No. 392 -94 nor shall it include any portion of trunk highway marked number 3 from trunk highway marked number 110
110 may refer to:
*110 (number), natural number
*AD 110, a year
*110 BC, a year
*110 film, a cartridge-based film format used in still photography
*110 (MBTA bus), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus route
*110 (song), 2019 song by Capi ...
in Dakota County to East Seventh Street in the city of Saint Paul.
At the time, old MN 3 was marked along the nearby Lafayette Freeway (now US 52) from the late 1970s to 1994.
It also allowed a connection from the parkway to I-94, but this link could not be controlled access
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
. The Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council, commonly abbreviated Met Council or Metro Council, is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area, accounting for over 55 pe ...
was to complete a draft EIS for the parkway and I-35E by September 1, 1979, with the cooperation of the Minnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT, ) oversees transportation by all modes including land, water, air, rail, walking and bicycling in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state' ...
(MnDOT) and Saint Paul. There was widespread support for a parkway, with landscaping and a truck restriction, but the nonconnection to I-94 jeopardized federal Interstate funding since it could no longer be part of the continuous I-35E. Two notable alternatives came out of the draft EIS—a parkway with or without an I-94 connection. The parkway with a connection would provide the same level of service Level of service may refer to:
* Levels of service in asset management
* Level of service (transportation) in transportation and traffic
* Something agreed on in a Service-level agreement
A service-level agreement (SLA) is a commitment between a ...
as a typical freeway.[
R.I.P. 35E and other citizens' groups continued to oppose a direct connection, arguing that it would be no different from a typical freeway, since drivers would be more likely to exceed the speed limit if it was a continuous roadway to I-94. Saint Paul changed its mind again in September 1981, supporting a direct connection, along with MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council. A bill passed in March 1982 removed the stipulation that the parkway shall not connect to I-94 and allowed Route 390 (I-35E) to use Route 382 (the parkway). The final EIS was approved at about that time, and several groups, including R.I.P. 35E, filed suit in early 1983.][
The suit alleged that the EIS focused almost exclusively on the Pleasant Avenue alignment and that it did not consider the effect of a direct connection on speed limit compliance; faster traffic would mean more noise. Judge ]Paul Magnuson
Paul Arthur Magnuson (born February 9, 1937) is a Senior status, senior United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Early life and education
Paul A. Magnuson was b ...
ruled in February 1984 that the EIS was valid, stating that the Pleasant Avenue alternative was the only reasonable one that would meet goals. This court order has been interpreted as a legal contract, prohibiting the state from raising the speed limit or allowing trucks.[ Construction went forward, and I-35E was opened from MN 5 north to Saint Clair Avenue in 1984, using original bridges that had been built for three lanes in each direction. Further extensions, including all new bridges,][ were opened to Grand Avenue in 1986, to Kellogg Boulevard in November 1988, and to I-94 on October 15, 1990, 26 years after construction began. The 1990 opening ceremony of I-35E in downtown Saint Paul was attended by a group of highway experts from the ]Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, and both the US and Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
national anthems were played.
Later changes
The original plans for the I-94 overlap in Downtown Saint Paul did not include the right-side ramps that eliminate weaving. The ramp from I-35E northbound to I-94 eastbound was added when I-35E was finally completed in 1990, and a five-year construction project that was completed in 1992 added the ramp from I-35E southbound to I-94 westbound, as well as a direct ramp from I-35E southbound to the Lafayette Freeway (US 52) to avoid weaving across I-94 east. This project was done because the old Spaghetti Junction at the east split of I-35E and I-94 would not be able to handle the extra load from the completed I-35E parkway.
When the first piece of the parkway opened in 1984, unused provisions, pending more study, were added for a direct link to Ayd Mill Road, a sunken four-lane road with minimal intersections that leads northwest from I-35E. The ramps were built and temporarily opened in 1992 for high-occupancy vehicle
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
s, due to the closure of the nearby Lafayette Bridge
The Lafayette Bridge is a bridge carrying U.S. Route 52 across the Mississippi River in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. At this point, US 52 is on the Lafayette Freeway. The bridge spans across railroad yards north of the Mississippi, the river i ...
(US 52) for reconstruction. The ramps were reopened on June 12, 2002, as a test, and remain open . A controversial extension of Ayd Mill Road to I-94 remains on the table.
The 1964 Lexington Bridge across the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
was replaced by a new bridge, built from 2001 to 2004, due to deterioration of the old structure including cracks in steel beams. Unweave the Weave, a project to eliminate weaving at the I-694 overlap, was completed in 2008.
The 1965 bridge just north of Downtown Saint Paul carrying a daily traffic volume of 148,000 vehicles over Cayuga Street and the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
line was rated by MnDOT as meeting minimum tolerable limits in 2006. Its superstructure and substructure were described as poor with advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling, or scour. As the fourth busiest bridge in the state, it was scrutinized following the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge
The I-35W Mississippi River bridge (officially known as Bridge 9340) was an eight-lane, steel truss arch bridge that carried Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River one-half mile (875 m) downstream from the Saint Anthony Falls in Minneap ...
in nearby Minneapolis on August 1, 2007. The bridge was replaced in a construction project that finished in late 2016.
Exit list
Exit numbers
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit. In some countries, such as the United States, it is also marked on a sign in the go ...
and milepost
A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...
s increase numerically from the south end, continuing the numbers used on I-35.
See also
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References
External links
I-35E at The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:35E
Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highways in Minnesota
E (Minnesota)
Interstate 35E
Interstate 35E
Interstate 35E
Interstate 35E
High-occupancy toll roads