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Minnesota State Highway 55

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Trunk Highway 55 marker
Trunk Highway 55
Olson Memorial Highway
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length220.572 mi[1] (354.976 km)
Existed1933–present
Major junctions
West end ND 11 at the Bois de Sioux River
Major intersections
East end US 61 in Hastings
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesWilkin, Grant, Douglas, Pope, Stearns, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Wright, Hennepin, Dakota
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
← MN 54→ MN 56

Minnesota State Highway 55 (MN 55) is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highway 61 in Hastings.

This route, signed east–west, runs roughly diagonally across the central part of Minnesota.

Highway 55 is 221 miles (356 km) in length.

Route description

Highway 55 serves as a northwest–southeast route between Elbow Lake, Glenwood, Paynesville, Annandale, Buffalo, Plymouth, Minneapolis, Mendota Heights, and Hastings.

Highway 55 begins at the Bois de Sioux River, at the Minnesota — North Dakota state line near Tenney. North Dakota Highway 11 is its counterpoint upon crossing the state line. Highway 55 continues east to Tenney, Nashua, and Wendell. The route has a junction with U.S. Highway 59 before entering the city of Elbow Lake. Highways 55 and 59 run concurrently for 11 miles until reaching Barrett.

Highway 55 then continues independently again to Hoffman, Kensington, Farwell, and Lowry before reaching the city of Glenwood. At Glenwood, Highway 55 has an intersection with State Highway 29 and an interchange with State Highway 28.

The route continues southeast to Sedan and Brooten before reaching its junction with U.S. Highway 71 in Belgrade. Highway 55 passes through Regal before reaching its junction with State Highways 4 and 23 at the city of Paynesville.

Highway 55 continues east to Eden Valley and Watkins before reaching its junction with State Highway 15 at Kimball.

The route has a junction with State Highway 24 in Annandale. Highway 55 continues to Maple Lake and then Buffalo, where it has a junction with State Highway 25.

Highway 55 enters the Twin Cities area at Rockford and Greenfield, continuing east to Medina and Plymouth. Highway 55 has a junction with I-494 in Plymouth. Highway 55 continues east and has a junction with U.S. Highway 169 at the Plymouth / Golden Valley boundary line. Highway 55 continues through Golden Valley to its junction with State Highway 100. The route then continues east and enters the city of Minneapolis.

The highway has been designated Olson Memorial Highway,[2] named for Floyd B. Olson, a popular Minnesota governor of Norwegian ancestry. Olson grew up in North Minneapolis, near where the highway runs. While the entire route is designated as the Olson Memorial Highway, it is only consistently signed as such between Interstate 494 and N 7th Street in Minneapolis. The part of Highway 55 southeast of downtown is known as Hiawatha Avenue. A light rail corridor, the Blue Line, runs parallel to the highway for much of the Hiawatha Avenue stretch.

Olson Memorial Highway statue

In July 2005, the section of Highway 55 that runs through downtown Minneapolis was turned back to local maintenance. To fill the gap, Highway 55 was rerouted along Interstate 94. Westbound, 55 now exits just before downtown at the westbound I-94 exit, and leaves the concurrency at the exit for the Olson Highway, marked with the Highway 55 shield. Eastbound, 55 leaves the Olson Highway at the interchange for I-94 eastbound, and leaves the freeway at the exit for Hiawatha Avenue, which is also marked with the Highway 55 shield.

There has been some controversy with expansion of the highway. An area known as Camp Coldwater, considered by some as the "birthplace of Minnesota," was dug up during some construction. Highway 55 has a junction with State Highway 62 at this point.

Fort Snelling State Park is located near the junction of Highway 55 and State Highway 5. The park entrance is located on Highway 5 at Post Road.

Highway 55 crosses the Minnesota River via the Mendota Bridge, which was the longest continuous bridge made of poured concrete when it was completed in 1926. It is 4,119 feet (1,255 m) in length.

The Mendota Bridge between Fort Snelling and Mendota Heights carries Highway 55 over the Minnesota River

The route enters Mendota Heights and has a junction with State Highways 13 and 110.

Highway 55 continues southeast through Eagan, joining briefly with State Highway 149. The route then has a junction with State Highway 3 in Inver Grove Heights. Highway 55 then runs concurrent with U.S. Highway 52 through Inver Grove Heights and into Rosemount. At Rosemount, Highway 55 leaves U.S. 52. Highway 55 continues independently again to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highway 61 in the city of Hastings.

History

Highway 55 was authorized in 1933.[3]

In late December 2006, someone added a 7-foot (2.1 m) painting of Pac-Man near one of the anti-tailgating dots on the road. This is located on the portion of Highway 55 between Buffalo and Rockford, traveling east of Buffalo.[1] [2]

In late June 2016, someone added a painting of Ms. Pacman on the east bound Lane of Hwy 55, just outside of Buffalo at the first dot of the anti tailgating markers.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1][4][5][6]kmDestinationsNotes
Bois de Sioux River0.0000.000
 ND 11 west		Continuation into North Dakota
Bridge
WilkinCampbell Township3.5035.638 US 75
Champion Township10.70617.230 MN 9
GrantPomme de Terre Township27.84144.806
 US 59 north		West end of US 59 overlap
Elbow Lake31.21850.241 MN 79
31.88051.306 MN 54
Barrett38.82662.484
 US 59 south		East end of US 59 overlap
Hoffman45.70473.553 MN 27
PopeBen Wade Township61.15198.413
 MN 114 north		West end of MN 114 overlap
Lowry61.81499.480
 MN 114 south		East end of MN 114 overlap
Reno Township68.816110.749 MN 29
Glenwood70.824–
71.070		113.980–
114.376		 MN 28 – Glenwood, Sauk Center, MorrisInterchange
StearnsBelgrade93.667150.742
 US 71 south		West end of US 71 overlap
Crow River Township94.649152.323
 US 71 north		East end of US 71 overlap
KandiyohiRoseville Township106.064170.693
 MN 4 north		West end of MN 4 overlap
StearnsPaynesville108.569174.725 MN 23Interchange
MeekerUnion Grove Township113.517182.688
 MN 4 south		East end of MN 4 overlap
Eden Valley119.491192.302 MN 22
StearnsKimball131.973212.390
 MN 24 south / MN 15		West end of MN 24 overlap
WrightAnnandale141.631227.933
 MN 24 north		East end of MN 24 overlap
Buffalo155.200249.770 MN 25 (Central Avenue)
HennepinPlymouth180.435–
180.592		290.382–
290.635		 I-494Interchange; I-494 exit 22
Plymouth–Golden Valley line183.813–
184.247		295.818–
296.517		 US 169Interchange
Golden Valley186.487–
186.746		300.122–
300.539		 MN 100Interchange
Minneapolis189.651305.214
 I-94 west		West end of I-94 overlap; I-94 exit 230
See I-94
191.914308.856
 I-94 east		East end of I-94 overlap; I-94 exit 234A

 I-35W north – University of MinnesotaModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated		Westbound left exit and eastbound left entrance
192.248–
192.574		309.393–
309.918		Cedar AvenueInterchange
193.163–
193.464		310.866–
311.350		East Lake StreetInterchange
Unorganized Territory of Fort Snelling197.142–
197.233		317.269–
317.416
 MN 62 west (Crosstown Highway)		Interchange; west end of freeway section
Bloomington Road – Fort Snelling Historic SiteFt. Snelling not signed eastbound
197.800–
198.217		318.328–
318.999		 MN 5 – Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, St. Paul
Minnesota River198.227319.015Mendota Bridge
DakotaMendota Heights199.151320.502
 MN 110 east		Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
199.935321.764
 MN 13 to MN 110		At-grade intersection; east end of freeway section
Eagan202.163–
202.171		325.350–
325.363
 MN 149 north (Dodd Road north)		West end of MN 149 overlap
202.705326.222
 MN 149 south (Dodd Road south)		East end of MN 149 overlap
Inver Grove Heights204.557–
204.974		329.203–
329.874		 MN 3 (South Robert Trail)West end of freeway section
205.929–
205.930		331.411–
331.412		 CR 73 (Barnes Avenue)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
206.515332.354
 US 52 north (Lafayette Freeway) – St. Paul		West end of US 52 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
CSAH 56 (Concord Boulevard)Former MN 56
Inver Grove Heights–Rosemount line117th Street
Rosemount210.836339.308
 US 52 south – Rochester		East end of US 52 overlap; east end of freeway section; interchange eastbound, access via connector road westbound
Hastings220.306–
220.313		354.548–
354.559		 US 61Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/Minnesota State Highway 55
KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ a b "Trunk Highway Log Point Listing - Construction District 5" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. August 20, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  2. ^ Minnesota Statutes section 161.14 subd. 3 - https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=161.14
  3. ^ Riner, Steve. "Details of routes 51–75". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Retrieved October 23, 2010.[self-published source]
  4. ^ "Trunk Highway Log Point Listing - Construction District 4" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. August 23, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  5. ^ "Trunk Highway Log Point Listing - Construction District 3" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. August 23, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  6. ^ "Trunk Highway Log Point Listing - Construction District 8" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. August 23, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
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