Minnesota State Highway 149
Encyclopedia
Minnesota State Highway 149 is a highway
in Minnesota
that runs from its intersection
with State Highway 3
in Inver Grove Heights
to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 5
(W. 7th Street) in Saint Paul
. The route is 10 miles (16.1 km) in length.
Outside of the Saint Paul city limits, Highway 149 is known as Dodd Road. 149 is known as Smith Avenue within Saint Paul and passes over the Smith Avenue High Bridge crossing the Mississippi River
.
The route was originally authorized in 1920 as Trunk Highway 1. It was later part of U.S. Route 65
from 1927 to 1934.
The route was paved (as 65) by 1929.
In 1934, this route was renumbered State Highway 88 when U.S. 65 was rerouted on a different alignment.
The route was renumbered again in 1950 as an extension of State Highway 49
.
By 1981, the route was renumbered 149 when a portion of State Highway 49 through downtown Saint Paul was turned back to local maintenance.
The Smith Avenue High Bridge over the Mississippi River was originally a steel truss bridge built around 1895 and rebuilt as a concrete arch in 1987.
and the city of St. Peter
(in south-central Minnesota) to help the development of St. Peter during its frontier days. Dodd Road was financed using private funds at a time when most roads were financed by the government to aid settlers. Present day Highway 149 bears little resemblance to the frontier road.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
that runs from its intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
with State Highway 3
Minnesota State Highway 3
Minnesota State Highway 3 is a state highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with MN 21 in Faribault and continues north to its northern terminus at an interchange with MN 110 in Inver Grove Heights...
in Inver Grove Heights
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,751 people, 11,257 households, and 7,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,038.8 people per square mile . There were 11,457 housing units at an average density of 400.1 per square mile...
to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 5
Minnesota State Highway 5
Minnesota State Highway 5 is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highways 19 and 22 in Gaylord and continues east and northeast to its eastern terminus at its interchange with State Highway 36 and Washington County Road 5 in Stillwater...
(W. 7th Street) in Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. The route is 10 miles (16.1 km) in length.
Outside of the Saint Paul city limits, Highway 149 is known as Dodd Road. 149 is known as Smith Avenue within Saint Paul and passes over the Smith Avenue High Bridge crossing the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Route description
Highway 149 serves as a north–south route between the communities of Eagan, Mendota Heights, West St. Paul, and the "West Side" neighborhood of Saint Paul. The northern terminus of the route is at W. 7th Street / Fort Road near downtown Saint Paul.History
Highway 149 was marked in 1981.The route was originally authorized in 1920 as Trunk Highway 1. It was later part of U.S. Route 65
U.S. Route 65
U.S. Route 65 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of Interstate 90 in Albert Lea, Minnesota...
from 1927 to 1934.
The route was paved (as 65) by 1929.
In 1934, this route was renumbered State Highway 88 when U.S. 65 was rerouted on a different alignment.
The route was renumbered again in 1950 as an extension of State Highway 49
Minnesota State Highway 49
Minnesota State Highway 49 was a state highway in Minnesota. It originally followed Rice Street from downtown St. Paul into the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, shifting a northern termini between Interstate 35W and also the Lino Lakes Correctional Facility. In the late 1990s, the route was...
.
By 1981, the route was renumbered 149 when a portion of State Highway 49 through downtown Saint Paul was turned back to local maintenance.
The Smith Avenue High Bridge over the Mississippi River was originally a steel truss bridge built around 1895 and rebuilt as a concrete arch in 1987.
Historic Dodd Road
Before it was a numbered highway in the 1920s, Dodd Road was a historic route in Minnesota. It was originally built in 1853 by Minnesota pioneer William B. Dodd and his crew. The road was built as a connection between the city of MendotaMendota, Minnesota
Mendota is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The name comes from the Dakota word for "where the waters meet." The population was 198 at the 2010 census.-History:...
and the city of St. Peter
St. Peter, Minnesota
St. Peter is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,196 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nicollet County.St...
(in south-central Minnesota) to help the development of St. Peter during its frontier days. Dodd Road was financed using private funds at a time when most roads were financed by the government to aid settlers. Present day Highway 149 bears little resemblance to the frontier road.