Interstate 535

Interstate 535 marker

Interstate 535

Interstate 535 highlighted in red
Route information
Length: 2.78 mi[1][2] (4.47 km)
Existed: 1971[3] – present
Major junctions
South end: 5th Street in Superior, WI
 
North end: I-35 / US 53 in Duluth, MN
Location
States: Wisconsin, Minnesota
Counties: WI: Douglas
MN: St. Louis
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highways
← I-494MNMN 610 →
← WIS 441WII-794 →

Interstate 535 (I-535) is a 2.78-mile-long (4.47 km) Interstate Highway spur route of Interstate 35 in Minnesota and Wisconsin, in the United States. It is paired with U.S. Highway 53 (US 53) along its entire route.

Route description

I-535 begins in the city of Superior, at the junction of US 53 and Wisconsin Highway 35 (WIS 35) and continues northwest across the John Blatnik Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay of Lake Superior. The freeway crosses from Wisconsin into Minnesota on the bridge and then meets an interchange for Garfield Avenue and the Port Terminal in the city of Duluth. I-535 ends at the junction of US 53 and I-35 known locally as the "Can of Worms" interchange, which features a pair of left exits from I-35, a stoplight, and lane drops over the I-35 bridge.[4]

I-535 is the shortest Interstate in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. It also is the only Interstate in the two states with no exit numbers. I-535 in Wisconsin is one of the few instances in the United States of a three-digit Interstate Highway entering a state that its parent two-digit Interstate does not enter. Other examples include Interstate 275 near Cincinnati, Ohio, Interstate 287, and Interstate 129.

In 2007, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) surveys measured an annual average daily traffic along their segment of I-535 at 21,800–29,500 vehicles daily.[5] The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) measured 29,500 vehicles daily in their 2009 survey. [6] As an Interstate Highway, I-535 is a part of the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[7] I-535 is part of the Falls-to-Falls Corridor, a federally-recognized trade corridor spanning from Eau Claire – Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to International Falls, Minnesota – Fort Frances, Ontario.

History

Interstate 535 was authorized in 1957 as part of the original Interstate Highway System.[8] The Blatnik Bridge was opened in 1961,[9] and the ramps to I-35 were completed in 1971.[3]

I-535 and the Blatnik Bridge replaced a swinging toll bridge at generally the same location. That bridge existed from 1897 to 1962 and carried US 53 from Connor's Point in Superior to Garfield Avenue In Duluth.

In November 2011, both Mn/DOT and WisDOT installed new signs to remind drivers that trucks over 40 short tons (36 t) gross vehicle weight cannot use the Blatnik Bridge; these vehicles will be rerouted to the nearby Bong Bridge. According to the press release, permitted, overweight vehicles have been restricted from using the Blatnik Bridge since early 2008 when inspections showed that corrosion and time were starting to affect the structure. Transportation officials say that the bridge is aging and restriction of overweight vehicles will help to extend the life of the bridge. Drivers who disregard the posted weight limits will be ticketed.[10]

Exit list

All exits are unnumbered.

StateCountyLocationmi[lower-alpha 1]kmDestinationsNotes
WisconsinDouglasSuperior0.000.00Fifth Street, Hammond AvenueSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
0.120.19 US 53 south / WIS 35 southSouthern end of US 53 concurrency
southbound exit and northbound entrance
Saint Louis Bay1.21
0.000		1.95
0.000		Blatnik Bridge
Minnesota–Wisconsin state line
MinnesotaSt. LouisDuluth0.536–
0.705		0.863–
1.135		Garfield Avenue – Port Terminal
1.429–
1.457		2.300–
2.345		 I-35 north to MN 61Northbound exit and southbound entrance
1.5712.528 I-35 south – Minneapolis, Saint PaulSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
1.5712.528 US 53 north (21st Avenue West)Northern end of US 53 concurrency;
Can of Worms interchange
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Annotations

  1. ↑ Distance measurements reset at the state line.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Region 5 Staff (May 14, 2009). State Trunk Highway Log for Region 5. Wisconsin Department of Transportation. p. 680.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 District 1 Staff (August 20, 2010). "Trunk Highway Logpoint Listing - Construction District 1" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 District 1 Staff. "Construction Log 6980" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  4. ↑ Google (February 22, 2008). "Duluth, MN" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
  5. ↑ City of Superior 1 of 2 (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ TH Traffic Volumes, City of Duluth, Sheet 3 (PDF) (Map). Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2006. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ Adderly, Kevin (August 26, 2010). "The National Highway System". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  8. ↑ Routes to be Added to the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Map). U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. October 17, 1957. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  9. ↑ District 1 Staff. "Construction Log 6981" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  10. ↑ Burns, Krista (November 21, 2011). "Load Limit Signs on Blatnik Bridge". Duluth, MN: KBJR-TV/KDLH-TV. Retrieved December 10, 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to John A. Blatnik Bridge.

Route map: Bing