Interstate 35W (Minnesota)

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Interstate 35W
Branch route of the Interstate Highway System
Maintained by MnDOT
Length: 41.78 mi[1] (67.24 km)
South end: I-35 in Burnsville, MN
Major
junctions:
I-94 in Minneapolis, MN
North end: I-35 in Columbus, MN
Minnesota State Highways
< I-35E MN 36 >

Interstate 35W (abbreviated I-35W), an interstate highway, is the western half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Minnesota. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Burnsville. I-35W runs north for 39 miles (63 km), carrying its own separate sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Minneapolis before rejoining with I-35E to reform I-35 in Columbus. I-35W supplanted the now-decommissioned highways of old US 8 north of Minneapolis and US 65 south of the city.

Historically, other interstates were given directional suffixes. On every other interstate, the directional suffixes were phased out by giving the route a loop or spur designation. In the case of I-35, since both branches return to a unified interstate beyond the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the AASHTO committees allowed the suffixes to remain.

Contents

[edit] Cities

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.

[edit] Intersections with other Interstates and other main roads

[edit] Notes

The route passes through the two most notorious interchanges in the Twin Cities, the Crosstown Commons at Minnesota State Highway 62 and an interchange with Interstate 94 immediately south of downtown Minneapolis. Reconstruction of both interchanges are on short and long range plans, respectively. In downtown Minneapolis, the interchange with Interstate 94 does not have direct access from southbound I-35W to eastbound I-94 or from westbound I-94 to northbound I-35W. Drivers must use Cedar Avenue and Washington Avenue to make these connections.

No direct access from I-35E to I-35W is provided at either the southern or northern termini. Access from I-35W southbound to I-35E northbound at the southern terminus is possible via County Road 42 within a half-mile (0.8 km) of the terminus.

The route of I-35W is defined as part of Route 394 in Minnesota Statutes ยง 161.12(2),[1] but is not signed as such.

[edit] See also

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 35
Current and Future (F) Former
I-35E Minnesota - Texas
I-35W Minnesota - Texas
I-135 Kansas
I-235 Iowa - Kansas - Oklahoma
I-335 Kansas Minnesota
I-435 Missouri-Kansas
I-535 Minnesota-Wisconsin
I-635 Kansas-Missouri - Texas

[edit] References

  1. ^ Route Log - Main Routes of the Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 1