I-35W North Metro (inside the Beltway)

North Metro (inside the Beltway)

This page covers I-35W from the eastern end of the I-94/I-35W "Spaghetti Junction" complex near downtown Minneapolis to I-694 in Arden Hills. Total length of this section is approximately 9.2 miles.

AUGUST 2007 UPDATE: On August 1, 2007, the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed, dropping 50-60 vehicles into the river with it and causing numerous injuries and 13 fatalities. As a result, I-35W is closed between the 3rd St/U of M exit and University Ave NE. Except for the History and Future Plans sections below, the main part reflects I-35W's pre-bridge-collapse condition, with revised notes in italics as needed.

The approved detour is via I-94 East and MN 280. MnDOT is also suggesting I-94 West to I-694 as an alternative route.

Description

The primary gateway to downtown Minneapolis from the north central metro, this section of I-35W includes its newest segment, completed in the late '70s. One notable aspect along this segment are the "ghost ramps" and "ghost grades" between Hennepin Ave and New Brighton Blvd, which would have served the cancelled I-335 North Loop freeway. This route serves a major industrial area in northeast Minneapolis and western Roseville.

Roadway Configuration

4 lanes south of MN 55 (more or less closed. The ramps to/from 3rd St and the U of M are open.)
8 lanes from MN 55 to University Ave (currently closed until the new bridge is completed)
6 lanes from University Ave to near Stinson Blvd (One lane open in each direction.)
7 lanes (4 northbound, 3 southbound) from near Stinson Blvd to MN 280 (2 lanes open in each direction.)
9 lanes (5 northbound, 4 southbound), plus a SB C/D road, from MN 280 to MN 36
6 lanes from MN 36 to I-694
Auxiliary lanes between interchanges from University Ave to Hennepin Ave and from MN 36 to County Road C

Average Daily Traffic Counts

Location	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006	10-yr '96-'06 Change
North of I-94	101,000	100,000	103,000	103,000	105,000	102,000	+1%
North of MN 55	N/A	112,000	116,000	118,000	121,000	117,000	N/A
North of Washington Ave	124,000	134,000	139,000	140,000	141,000	140,000	+13%
Between University Ave ramps	107,000	112,000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
North of University Ave	120,000	131,000	135,000	136,000	140,000	136,000	+13%
North of Hennepin Ave	106,000	118,000	123,000	120,000	124,000	123,000	+16%
North of Johnson Ave ramps	86,000	93,000	99,000	95,000	97,000	94,000	+9%
North of New Brighton/Stinson Blvds	96,000	106,000	112,000	108,000	111,000	107,000	+11%
North of Industrial Blvd	100,000	106,000	116,000	118,000	112,000	108,000	+8%
Between MN 280 and MN 36	132,000	142,000	152,000	142,000	144,000	141,000	+7%
Between MN 36 ramps	73,000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
North of MN 36	102,000	111,000	116,000	112,000	112,000	111,000	+9%
North of County Road C	102,000	111,000	116,000	108,000	110,000	109,000	+7%
North of County Road D	95,000	107,000	107,000	100,000	102,000	101,000	+6%
North of CSAH 88	105,000	117,000	117,000	110,000	111,000	111,000	+6%
North of County Road E2	105,000	117,000	117,000	113,000	114,000	112,000	+7%

Click HERE for the Exit List

Speed Limit

55 MPH south of MN 280
60 MPH north of MN 280

History

Opened between MN 280 and I-694 in 1964.
Opened across the Mississippi River between Washington Ave and University Ave in 1969.
Opened between I-94 and Washington Ave in 1973.
Opened between University Ave and Hennepin Ave in 1973.
Opened between Stinson Blvd and MN 280 in 1973.
Opened between Hennepin Ave and Stinson Blvd in 1976.
Bridge across Mississippi River collapsed/destroyed on August 1, 2007.

Future Plans

With the collapse of the 3rd busiest river bridge in the state, MnDOT will be under fire to get a replacement bridge up as soon as possible. Congress has approved $250 million in money for cleanup and the bridge replacement. The bridge replacement is a design-build project and the bridge will have 10 lanes (5 in each direction), full inside and outside shoulders, and will be built to accommodate a Light Rail Transit line (though no such line is currently planned). Flatiron-Manson won a very heated competitive bid to build the new bridge, creating some controversy in the process. Even though Flatiron's bid had the highest cost and tied for the longest construction time, their technical score was by far the highest and as a result of their score/cost ratio, they won the bid. Two of the losing contractors protested this, but all indications are that MnDOT stayed fully within the state laws governing design-build projects. The new bridge is now well under construction with a targeted completion date of Fall, 2008.
Part of the ongoing "Downtown Minneapolis Freeway Study" includes the southern half of this segment of I-35W. Some interim options looked at prior to the Mississippi River bridge collapse included restriping southbound I-35W across the river bridge to MN 55 to improve lane operations. A "full build" scenario would replace the river bridge, add significant capacity to the corridor, and make significant changes to the Washington Ave and U of M interchanges. Perhaps the most significant of the options being considered are adding the "missing movements" at I-94/I-35W, adding direct ramps between 3rd St/4th St and I-35W to/from the north, and adding BRT/HOV lanes to the corridor tying directly into 3rd St/4th St. Of course, while there's a desire to add additional capacity along the corridor, funding will be another issue.
There's also a good possibility of reconstructing the I-35W/I-694 interchange to include flyover ramps, but probably not until after 2020.

Froggie Suggests

Add ramps to/from the north at 3rd St/4th St.
Expedite replacement of the Mississippi River bridge to include full shoulders and additional lanes.
Widen I-35W to 8 through lanes plus auxiliary lanes from MN 55 to I-694.
Add ramps to/from the north at Hennepin Ave.
Add a northbound C/D road system between MN 280 and MN 36.
Reconstruct the I-35W/MN 36/Cleveland Ave interchange, to include a righthand exit from southbound I-35W, and a SB 35W to EB 36 flyover.
Reconstruct and improve the interchanges at County Road C and County Road D.
Reconstruct the I-35W/I-694 interchange to include C/D roads, a NB 35W to WB 694 flyover, and an EB 694 to NB 35W flyover (slightly different from the current proposal).

Links

Last updated 12 May, 2008