Interstate 694

Interstate 694 marker

Interstate 694

Interstate 694 highlighted in red
Route information
Defined by MS § 161.12(5)
Maintained by Mn/DOT
Length: 30.767 mi[1] (49.515 km)
Existed: 1970 – present
Major junctions
West end: I-94 / I-494 at Maple Grove
 

US 169 at Brooklyn Park
I-94 / MN 252 at Brooklyn Center
I-35W at New BrightonArden Hills
US 10 / MN 51 at Arden Hills
I-35E / US 10 at Little Canada

US 61 at Maplewood
East end: I-94 / I-494 at WoodburyOakdale
Location
Counties: Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Washington
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highways
MN 610MN 1

Interstate 694 (I-694) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The western terminus of the route is at its junction with I-94 and I-494 in Maple Grove. The eastern terminus of I-694 is at its junction with I-94 and I-494 at the WoodburyOakdale city line. I-694 comprises the northern and northeastern portions of a beltway around the Twin Cities, with I-494 forming the remainder of the beltway. The speed limit is 60 miles per hour (95 km/h). Interstate Highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph (115 km/h), but can only reach 60 mph (95 km/h) inside the loop.

I-694 also interchanges with I-35W at New BrightonArden Hills and I-35E at Little CanadaVadnais Heights. I-694 is also concurrent with I-94 for eight miles (13 km) from Maple Grove to Brooklyn Center. I-694 is 30.767 miles (49.515 km) in length.

Route description

Interchange of Eastbound I-94, MN-252 and Eastbound I-694 in Brooklyn Center, MN

I-694 begins on the counter-clockwise end at the junction of I-94, I-494, and I-694 in the city of Maple Grove, often referred to as the Fish Lake Interchange. From the Fish Lake Interchange, I-694 travels eastbound (clockwise) and concurrent with I-94 through the cities of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, and Brooklyn Center. In Brooklyn Center, I-94 splits from I-694 and then I-94 travels south toward downtown Minneapolis, while I-694 continues its beltway function, crossing the Mississippi River, and then passing through the communities of Fridley and New Brighton, where it has an interchange with I-35W. I-694 turns slightly to the southeast as it passes through the communities of Arden Hills, Shoreview, and Little Canada. I-694 turns back to near due east at its western junction with I-35E. It continues east through the communities of Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, and Maplewood. In Pine Springs, I-694 has a cloverleaf interchange with State Highway 36 (MN 36). The I-694–MN 36 interchange makes out a rough corner, in which I-694 switches direction from eastbound to southbound. I-694 continues south through the city of Oakdale, and finally terminates on the clockwise end at the interchange of I-94, I-494, and I-694 at the Oakdale–Woodbury city boundary line. I-694 becomes I-494 after this interchange.[2]

I-694 looking West through Fridley, MN

Mileposts on Interstate 694 are numbered to increase while traveling eastbound (clockwise). They are in sequence with the numbering of adjoining I-494, where the numbering begins and ends at the Minnesota River. Between Maple Grove and Brooklyn Center, the mileposts correspond to the beltway numbering, not I-94 mileage.[2]

I-694 has problems with "weave" interchanges. The Unweave the Weave construction project, completed between 2004 and 2008, disentangled I-694 and I-35E at Little CanadaVadnais Heights. The project was designed to increase traffic flow, driver safety, and improve the condition of the roadway.[3] Another construction project, the I-35W/US 10/I-694 North Central Corridor Reconstruction Project, also designed to unweave the highway, began in September, 2011. This project will eliminate the weaving movements of I-694 at its interchange with U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) and MN 51 in Arden Hills. This interchange often creates one of the worst bottlenecks in the Twin Cities because drivers need to change at least one lane to continue either direction on I-694 between MN 51 (Snelling Avenue) and US 10. When the construction project is completed, the roadway of I-694 will include three thru-lanes in each direction from I-35W at New Brighton to US 10 at Arden Hills; four thru-lanes in each direction from US 10 in Arden Hills to Rice Street at Shoreview–Little Canada; and five thru-lanes in each direction from Rice Street to the I-694–I-35E interchange, compared with the current two to three lanes throughout the I-694 corridor.

Legally, the route of I-694 is defined as part of unmarked Legislative Route 393 in the Minnesota Statutes §161.12(5).[4] I-694 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway.[2] The entire freeway, as part of the Interstate Highway System, has been included in the National Highway System,[5] a system of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[6]

History

The original beltway around the Twin Cities was Minnesota State Highway 100. The portion of I-694 running east from the current Highway 100 in Brooklyn Park through New Brighton and Highway 10 was part of that original beltway. There was a two-lane bridge across the Mississippi river where the current I-694 bridge is today.

The construction of I-694 to Interstate standards was authorized in 1956. The first section of I-694 completed was between US 10 at Arden Hills to I-35E at Little Canada in the early 1960s. The last section of I-694 completed was between I-35E at Little Canada to its junction with I-94 and I-494 at OakdaleWoodbury, completed by the early 1970s.

I-694 was built as the main thoroughfare for the northern suburbs of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. These include the cities of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, New Brighton, Arden Hills, Shoreview, Little Canada, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, Maplewood, Pine Springs, and Oakdale.

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
HennepinMaple Grove27.366–
27.969
44.041–
45.012
I-494Counterclockwise terminus of I-694, clockwise terminus of I-494
27 I-94 west St. CloudCounterclockwise end of I-94 overlap; I-94 exit 216
28.460–
28.493
45.802–
45.855
28 CSAH 61 (Hemlock Lane)
Brooklyn Park32.97953.07529 US 169Signed as exits 29A (south) and 29B (north)
30.52949.13230Boone Avenue
31.45450.62031 CSAH 81 (Bottineau Boulevard)
Brooklyn Center33.47953.87933 CSAH 152 (Brooklyn Boulevard)
34.77055.95734 To MN 100 / Shingle Creek Parkway
35.24856.72635A MN 100Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance
35.27256.76535B I-94 eastClockwise end of I-94 overlap; I-94 WB exit 225
35.81557.63935C MN 252
AnokaFridley36.21958.28936 CSAH 1 (East River Road)
36.93859.44637 MN 47 (University Avenue)
37.71260.69238 MN 65 (Central Avenue)
RamseyNew Brighton39.15763.01739 CSAH 44 (Silver Lake Road)
39.95664.30340Long Lake Road / 10th Street NW
40.76265.60041 I-35WSigned as exits 41A (south) and 41B (north); I-35W exits 27A-B; cloverleaf interchange
Arden Hills41.87467.39042B MN 51 south (Snelling Avenue)Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance; access via US 10
42.33368.12842A US 10 west AnokaCounterclockwise end of US 10 overlap; counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance
Arden HillsShoreview line42.78768.85943ALexington AvenueNo counterclockwise entrance
Shoreview43.58670.14543BVictoria Street
45 CSAH 49 (Rice Street)
Little Canada46.41774.70146 I-35E south / US 10 east St. PaulClockwise end of US 10 overlap; counterclockwise end of I-35E overlap; I-35E NB exit 113
Vadnais Heights47.06775.74747 I-35E north DuluthClockwise end of I-35E overlap; I-35E SB exits 113-114
White Bear LakeMaplewood line48.48378.02648 US 61
49.665–
49.695
79.928–
79.976
50White Bear Avenue
RamseyWashington
county line
Mahtomedi51.31282.57951 MN 120 (Century Avenue)
WashingtonPine Springs52.49184.47652 MN 36 North St. Paul, StillwaterSigned as exits 52A (west) and 52B (east)
Oakdale54.74388.10055 CSAH 14 (34th Street North) / Old MN 5
57.12391.93157 CSAH 10 (10th Street North)
58.101–
58.133
93.504–
93.556
58 I-94 St. Paul, MadisonSigned as exits 58A (west) and 58B (east); I-94 exit 249
I-494Clockwise terminus of I-694, counterclockwise terminus of I-494
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (September 6, 2011). Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  2. 1 2 3 Official State Highway Map (Map) (2009–2010 ed.). Cartography by Mn/DOT. Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2009. Metropolitan Saint Paul–Minneapolis inset. § V25–Y25, Y25–Y26.
  3. Staff. "Unweave the Weave". Minnesota Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
  4. Minnesota Legislature (2006). "§161.12, Additional Routes Added; Federal Aid". Minnesota Statutes. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  5. National Highway System: Minneapolis – St. Paul (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. August 2003. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  6. Adderly, Kevin (August 26, 2010). "Planning, Environment, & Realty". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved January 26, 2011.

Route map: Google

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