Ramsey County

This page covers MN 280 from the I-94 interchange in St. Paul to the I-35W interchange in Roseville.  Total length of this section is approximately 3.5 miles.

AUGUST 2007 UPDATE:  Due to the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge on August 1, 2007, and the designation of MN 280 as the approved detour route, all side-street access to MN 280 has been blocked off and the traffic signals switched to a "permanent green phase" for MN 280, effectively making the northern half of MN 280 a temporary freeway.  This change is in effect until further notice.

Description

Originally conceived as a bypass of sorts east of downtown Minneapolis, MN 280 is but a short stub now of that original plan.  MN 280 would have extended west from its current interchange at I-94, crossed the Mississippi River just north of the 29th St railroad bridge, and continued as the "28th Street Expressway" across south Minneapolis to MN 100.  With the section west of I-94 cancelled, MN 280 now serves as a connector between I-94 and I-35W, accessing the industrial areas along the corridor.

MnDOT has plunked some money into MN 280 in recent years to reconstruct it.  This reconstruction has so far been completed between University Ave and Como Ave, and has resulted in improvements such as wider lanes, wider shoulders, and auxiliary lanes between interchanges.  There are proposals to continue this reconstruction north to I-35W, including converting the remaining stretch to freeway.

Roadway Configuration

Map will be part of a future update
  • 4 lane freeway from I-94 to just north of Larpentur Ave
  • 4 lane expressway from just north of Larpentur Ave to I-35W
  • Auxiliary lanes between University Ave and Como Ave

Traffic

Map will be part of a future update
  • Light to Moderate throughout

Average Daily Traffic Counts

Location 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
N of I-94 34,000 24,000 30,000 43,000 43,000
N of University Ave 56,000 52,000 54,000 65,000 65,000
N of Energy Park Dr 55,000 46,000 51,000 58,000 57,000
N of Como Ave 42,500 38,500 46,000 52,000 56,000
N of Larpentur Ave 36,000 34,000 40,000 43,000 44,000
N of Broadway 31,500 34,000 36,000 39,000 37,500
N of County Road B 31,500 34,000 36,000 39,000 37,500

Traffic count drops in 1994 due to construction.

Click HERE for the Exit List

Speed Limit

Map will be part of a future update
  • 55 MPH from I-94 to Larpentur Ave
  • 50 MPH north of Larpentur Ave

Current Construction

Future Plans

Froggie Suggests:

Links

Last updated 4 August, 2007