Interstate 494

Interstate 494
Interstate 494 highlighted in red.
Route information
Maintained by Mn/DOT
Length:	43.00 mi[1] (69.20 km)
Existed:	1985 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-94 / I-694 in Maple Grove
	I-394 / US 12 in Minnetonka US 212 in Eden Prairie US 169 in Bloomington I-35W in Bloomington I-35E in Mendota Heights US 52 in Inver Grove Heights US 10 / US 61 in Newport
East end:	I-94 / I-694 in Woodbury/Oakdale
Location
Counties:	Washington, Dakota, Hennepin
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Minnesota Trunk Highways Interstate US State Legislative routes ← I-394 I-535 →

Interstate 494 (I-494) is a loop route making up part of a beltway of Interstate 94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The 43-mile (69 km) road is coupled with Interstate 694 (which circles the northern edge of the Twin Cities metro area) at each end, and composes more than half of the major beltway of the region. I-694 / I-494 also act as loop routes for Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W.

I-494 has a few intersections with other interstates:

• Interstates 94 and 694 at Woodbury / Oakdale
• Interstate 35E in Mendota Heights
• Interstate 35W in Bloomington
• Interstate 394 in Minnetonka
• Interstates 94 / 694 (concurrent) in Maple Grove

The speed limit on I-494 is 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). Interstate highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph (110 km/h). Most highways inside the loop are signed at speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h) or lower, though a few exceptions were added in September 2005, allowing speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) in some places. Those roads had been signed at 60 mph (97 km/h) or higher up until the gasoline crises of the 1970s.

Route description

Exit numbering of Interstate 494 is unusual in that it begins at the Minnesota River heading westbound (between Mendota Heights and Bloomington), and continues clockwise around the entire beltway. The last exit is #71 to Pilot Knob Road. The most significant landmark on the length of I-494 is Mall of America, just south of the intersection of I-494 and State Highway 77.

Legally, the route of Interstate 494 is defined as part of unmarked legislative route 393 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.12(5). Interstate 494 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway.

History

Construction on Interstate 494 first began in the late 1950s, and it was finally completed in 1985. Upgrades continue to be made to widen Interstate 494 to at least three lanes in each direction.

Expansion of the Wakota Bridge between Newport and South St. Paul over the Mississippi River was completed in the summer of 2010. The bridge is named so because it connects Washington County and Dakota County. Near the end of this effort, Interstate 494 was widened from two to three lanes between Lake Road and I-94 in Woodbury.

A major reconstruction / widening project of I-494 was completed in fall 2006 between U.S. Highway 212 / State Highway 5 in Eden Prairie and Carlson Parkway at Minnetonka / Plymouth. Plans for up to six lanes in each direction for parts of I-494 in Bloomington are proposed but not yet funded.

494 Corridor Commission

The 494 Corridor Commission, also known as 494 Commuter Services, is a non-profit organization aimed at reducing traffic congestion along the southwest section of the Interstate 494 corridor. In 1988, the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, and Richfield joined together to address traffic congestion and work towards improving I-494. The organization's mission is to promote economic growth and regional prosperity through improved transportation options along the highway, such as carpooling and bus transit. The organization's board of directors consists of representatives from each of the five member cities, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, and the private business community.^[2]

Exit list

County	Location	Mile	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Washington	Woodbury			—	I-694 north	Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance
				58	I-94 – St. Paul, Madison	Signed as exits 58A (west) and 58B (east)
				58C	Tamarack Road
				59	Valley Creek Road	Past unsigned southern terminus of Highway 120
				60	Lake Road
	Newport			63	US 10 / US 61 / Bailey Road – St. Paul, Hastings	Signed as exits 63A (west/north) and 63B (east/south)
				63C	Maxwell Avenue
Dakota	South St. Paul			64A	Hardman Avenue
				64B	MN 156 (Concord Street)
				65	5th Avenue, 7th Avenue
	Inver Grove Heights			66	US 52 – St. Paul, Rochester
				67	MN 3 (Robert Street) / MN 110
	Eagan– Mendota Heights			69	MN 149 (Dodd Road) to MN 55	MN 55 crosses I-494 west of I-35E, but with no direct access
				70	I-35E – St. Paul, Albert Lea
				71	CR 31 (Pilot Knob Road)
Hennepin	Bloomington			1A	MN 5 east – Terminal 1, St. Paul via 7th Street	Eastern end of MN 5 overlap
				1B	34th Avenue – Terminal 2
				2A	24th Avenue
	Bloomington– Richfield			2BC	MN 77 (Cedar Avenue)	Signed as exits 2B (north) and 2C (south)
				3	12th Avenue, Portland Avenue
				4A	Nicollet Avenue
				4B	Lyndale Avenue
				5	I-35W – Minneapolis, Albert Lea	Signed as exits 5A (north) and 5B (south)
				6A	CR 32 (Penn Avenue)
	Bloomington			6B	CR 17 (France Avenue)
				7A	MN 100
				7B	CR 34 (Normandale Boulevard)
				8	CR 28 (East Bush Lake Road)
				10	US 169	Signed as exits 10A (north) and 10B (south)
	Eden Prairie			11A	CR 61 (Flying Cloud Drive)
				11B	US 212 east
				11C	US 212 west / MN 5 west	Western end of MN 5 overlap
				12	CR 39 (Valley View Road)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
	Minnetonka			13	MN 62 / CR 62
				16	MN 7	Signed as exits 16A (east) and 16B (west)
				17	Minnetonka Boulevard
				19	I-394 east / US 12 – Minneapolis, Wayzata	Signed as exits 19A (east) and 19B (west)
	Plymouth			20	Carlson Parkway
				21	CR 6
				22	MN 55
				23	CR 9 (Rockford Road)
	Maple Grove			26	CR 10 (Bass Lake Road)
				27	I-94 west – St. Cloud
				—	I-94 east / I-694	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

• Adam Froehlig (November 22, 2003). Interstate Highway 494. Interstate 494 in Minnesota. Accessed August 26, 2010.
• Interstate 494 Minnesota. Interstate-Guide.com. Accessed May 17, 2005.

External links

• Mn/DOT: Mn/DOT I-494 Reconstruction Project - from I-394 to Minnesota River

v t e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 94 North Dakota 1941 Minnesota 394 494 694 Wisconsin 794 894 Illinois 294 Michigan 194 1Unsigned