South Metro (inside the Beltway)
This page covers US 52 from I-94 near downtown St. Paul to I-494 in Inver Grove Heights. Total length of this section is approximately 5.6 miles.
Description
Constructed as the MN 3 "Lafayette Freeway" in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this freeway became part of a realigned US 52 in the mid 1990s. US 52 is the main route between St. Paul and Rochester, and serves several older suburbs along this portion.
The "Lafayette Bridge", the US 52 crossing of the Mississippi River near downtown St. Paul, has recently become a hot subject in the wake of the I-35W bridge collapse. Another "fracture critical" structure as the I-35W bridge was, this bridge has been identified as an immediate bridge replacement need. The transportation funding bill passed in early 2008 will allow the bridge to be replaced within the next few years, likely as a 6-lane structure. There is also talk about making the bridge "light-rail ready" for a possible future LRT line.
Roadway Configuration
Average Daily Traffic Counts
| Location | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 10-yr '96-'06 Change |
| S of I-94 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 78,000 | 75,000 | 81,000 | 81,000 | +16% |
| S of Plato Blvd | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 69,000 | N/A |
| S of Florida St | 63,000 | 64,000 | 74,000 | 70,000 | 74,000 | 76,000 | +21% |
| S of MN 156/Concord St | 53,000 | 54,000 | 63,000 | 58,000 | 65,000 | 65,000 | +23% |
| S of Butler Ave/CR 4 | 51,000 | 53,000 | 63,000 | 59,000 | 63,000 | 59,000 | +16% |
| S of Thompson Ave/CR 6 | 41,500 | 44,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| S of Wentworth Ave/CR 8 | 49,500 | 53,000 | 61,000 | 60,000 | 61,000 | 61,000 | +23% |
| S of Southview Blvd/CSAH 14 | 49,000 | 53,000 | 61,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 62,000 | +27% |
Click HERE for the Exit List
Speed Limit
Future Plans
Froggie Suggests:
Links
Last updated 12 May, 2008