Interstate 494

This article is about the beltway around portions of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. For other uses, see Interstate 494 (disambiguation).

Interstate 494 marker

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
  • Minnesota Trunk Highways
I-394I-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:

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 crisis 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

CountyLocationmi[3]kmExitDestinationsNotes
WashingtonWoodbury58.15893.59658A/58B I-94 / I-694 north St. Paul, MadisonContinuation from I-694; signed as exits 58A (west) and 58B (east); I-94 exit 249.
58.99994.95058CTamarack Road
59.85296.32259Valley Creek Road
60.69097.67160Lake Road
Newport63.177101.67463A/63B US 10 / US 61 / Bailey Road St. Paul, HastingsSigned as exits 63A (west/north) and 63B (east/south)
63.408102.04563CMaxwell Avenue
DakotaSouth St. Paul64.204103.32664AHardman Avenue
64.646104.03864B MN 156 (Concord Street)
65.125–
65.251
104.809–
105.011
655th Avenue, 7th Avenue
Inver Grove Heights66.148106.45566 US 52 St. Paul, Rochester
66.391–
67.170
106.846–
108.100
67 MN 3 (Robert Street) / MN 110
Eagan
Mendota Heights
70.049112.73369 MN 149 (Dodd Road) to MN 55MN 55 crosses I-494 west of I-35E, but with no direct access
70.815113.96670 I-35E St. Paul, Albert LeaSigned as exits 70A (north) and 70B (south); I-35E exits 99A-B
71.906115.72171 CSAH 31 (Pilot Knob Road)
DakotaHennepin
county line
EaganMendota Heights
Bloomington
73.021
0.000
117.516
0.000
I-494 Bridge over the Minnesota River
HennepinBloomington1.2572.0231A MN 5 east / 7th Street – Terminal 1, St. PaulEastern end of MN 5 overlap
1.6372.6341B 34th Avenue – Terminal 2Diverging diamond interchange; METRO Blue Line light rail runs in the median of 34th Avenue[4]
2.3553.7902A24th Avenue
Bloomington
Richfield
2.8364.5642BC MN 77 (Cedar Avenue)Signed as exits 2B (north) and 2C (south)
3.358–
3.856
5.404–
6.206
312th Avenue, Portland Avenue
4.3577.0124ANicollet Avenue
4.8547.8124BLyndale Avenue
5.3438.5995 I-35W Minneapolis, Albert LeaSigned as exits 5A (north) and 5B (south); I-35W exits 9A-B
5.8519.4166A CSAH 32 (Penn Avenue)
Bloomington6.87511.0646B CSAH 17 (France Avenue)
7.92612.7567 MN 100 north / CSAH 34 (Normandale Boulevard)Signed as exits 7A (north) and 7B (south)
8.52113.7138 CSAH 28 (East Bush Lake Road)
10.11416.27710 US 169 Mankato, Sioux CitySigned as exits 10A (north) and 10B (south)
Eden Prairie11.65918.76311A CSAH 61 (Flying Cloud Drive)
11.92319.18811BC US 212 west / MN 5 westWestern end of MN 5 overlap
12.23319.68712 CSAH 39 (Valley View Road)Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Minnetonka13.89922.36813 MN 62 / CSAH 62
16.26726.17916 MN 7Signed as exits 16A (east) and 16B (west)
16.97027.31117Minnetonka Boulevard
19.51331.40319 I-394 east / US 12 Minneapolis, WayzataSigned as exits 19A (east) and 19B (west); I-394 east exit 1, west exits 1A-B
Plymouth20.36632.77620Carlson Parkway
21.30234.28221 CSAH 6
22.27235.84322 MN 55
23.52237.85523 CSAH 9 (Rockford Road)
Maple Grove26.20342.17026 CSAH 10 (Bass Lake Road)
27.99345.05027 I-94 / I-694 east St. CloudRoute continues as I-694; I-94 exit 216.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. Interstate 494 Minnesota. Interstate-Guide.com. Accessed May 17, 2005.
  2. "494 Corridor Commission - Who We Are". Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  3. Minnesota Department of Transportation (August 14, 2014). "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. pp. 54–61. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  4. "34th Avenue/I-494 Interchange: Diverging diamond interchange removes right turn arrows". City of Bloomington. Retrieved October 17, 2013.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, February 08, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.