A standard cloverleaf, the I-35W/I-694 interchange is a significant "turning point" in the Twin Cities freeway system, with large volumes of traffic turning between I-35W and I-694 to the west. The beginnings of chronic congestion are becoming rapidly apparent.
I-35W goes from south to north. I-694 runs west to east. US 10 is in the northeast corner, while former US 8 ran along the north-south road on the left edge.
Relatively simple and straightforward, my idea accommodates the heavy turning movements at the interchange, while providing for more through lanes on both I-35W and I-694. A C/D road along southbound I-35W keeps weaving from the two remaining loops off of the mainline. My suggestion, which has been drawn in, is to have 4 lanes in each direction along I-35W, with 4 lanes each direction on I-694 west of I-35W, and 3 lanes each direction east of I-35W.
In 2004, MnDOT had a proposed design for this interchange that is very similar to the idea I display above. However by August 2005, their proposal had shifted to instead have a SB 35W to EB 694 flyover instead of an EB 694 to NB 35W flyover. While this would eliminate the need to have C/D roads to reduce weaving, it both leaves a major movement at the interchange stuck on a loop ramp and also duplicates a movement being served by the US 10 cutoff, which itself is proposed to be upgrade to freeway.
Return to Twin Cities Interchange Upgrade Ideas
Return to Froggie's
Rantings
Return to Twin Cites
Highways
Page last modified 24 May, 2008