Minnesota State Highway 280
Encyclopedia
Minnesota State Highway 280 is a highway
in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota
, which runs from its interchange
with Interstate 94
in Saint Paul
and continues north to its interchange with Interstate 35W
in Roseville
. The route is 4 miles (6.4 km) in length.
Highway 280 is an important connector route
, as a result of the junction
between Interstate 94 and Interstate 35W in nearby downtown Minneapolis not being a complete interchange.
, between the city of Saint Paul
and suburban Roseville
. The highway passes through the small city of Lauderdale
on its way between Saint Paul and Roseville. Highway 280 is largely built against a slope, thus providing an excellent view of downtown Minneapolis to the west, particularly for southbound vehicles.
The route has a 50 MPH posted speed limit over its entire length.
Highway 280 is built to freeway standards from its interchange
with Interstate 94 to its interchange with East Hennepin Avenue / Larpenteur Avenue, although the entrance / exit ramps at Como Avenue are rather tight. This section of the route has auxiliary lanes between University Avenue and the Kasota Avenue/Energy Park Drive exit. There is a signal-controlled
intersection at Broadway Street NE on southbound Highway 280 only. The Highway 280 / Interstate 35W interchange in Roseville is incomplete, so traffic from Highway 280 northbound can not reach Interstate 35W southbound without using intersecting surface streets, and the same is true for northbound Interstate 35W traffic attempting to reach southbound Highway 280.
and Kasota Avenue in 1959 and to University Avenue (at that time, highways 12
, 52
, 56
, and 218
) in 1961. The highway was linked to Interstate 94
in 1968 upon the freeway's completion between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
South of Como Avenue, Highway 280 was widened and ramps improved in the mid 1990s. The Larpenteur Avenue / East Hennepin Avenue interchange in Lauderdale
was reconstructed in 2009 to eliminate the tight, no-acceleration lane ramps. The intersection at County Road B was also closed permanently in 2009, as was the unsignaled intersections at Roselawn Avenue and Walnut Street. With construction completed in December 2009, the signal at Broadway Street was modified to allow left turns from northbound Highway 280, thus maintaining a stoplight for southbound Highway 280 only, but Broadway Street traffic is now only able to turn right (south). Thus, Highway 280 is now, in a sense, a northbound freeway only with a single stoplight for southbound traffic.
The 2009 construction project also rehabilitated the concrete pavement between Interstate 94 and Territorial Road. The project also included replacement of the BNSF Railroad bridge located on Larpenteur Avenue to the west of Highway 280; placement of a new median
on Highway 280 from south of Como Avenue to Larpenteur Avenue; and noisewalls were constructed along the east side of Highway 280.
Originally, Highway 280 was proposed in the 1960s to continue farther; turning westward, south of its Interstate 94 junction in Saint Paul; and then continue west into Minneapolis, as a freeway running roughly along 28th Street. This route would have continued westbound to about France Avenue South. This freeway was never built, and the ramp stubs
at the Interstate 94 / Highway 280 junction in Saint Paul were removed in the early 1980s.
as the official detour route for I-35W, resulting in Highway 280 being converted temporarily to a full freeway by closing the intersections
at County Road B, Broadway Street, Walnut Street, and Roselawn Avenue. Despite the new replacement I-35W bridge opening September 18, 2008, many of the at-grade intersections on Highway 280 were not re-opened.
Plans for a permanent Highway 280 reconfiguration, per information provided by Mn/DOT officials at the open house meeting on October 21, 2008, involved the following:
Construction began in the Spring of 2009, along with the replacement for the Larpenteur Avenue / East Hennepin Avenue interchange along Highway 280. The construction project was completed in December 2009.
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 the Twin Cities region of 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...
, which runs from its interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Interstate 94
Interstate 94 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 94 runs east–west through the central portion of the state. The route connects the cities of Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, St...
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...
and continues north to its interchange with Interstate 35W
Interstate 35W (Minnesota)
Interstate 35W , is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Minneapolis. It is one of two through routes for Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being Interstate 35E through downtown Saint Paul...
in Roseville
Roseville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile...
. The route is 4 miles (6.4 km) in length.
Highway 280 is an important connector route
Connector (road)
A connector is a highway or freeway road that connects to another highway or freeway. It can be part of an interchange such as the MacArthur Maze or a longer roadway such as the 13 mi Interstate 635 ....
, as a result of the junction
Junction (traffic)
A junction, when discussed in the context of transport, is a location where traffic can change between different routes, directions, or sometimes modes, of travel.-Historical significance:...
between Interstate 94 and Interstate 35W in nearby downtown Minneapolis not being a complete interchange.
Route description
Highway 280 serves as a north–south route along the western edge of Ramsey CountyRamsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...
, between the city of 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...
and suburban Roseville
Roseville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile...
. The highway passes through the small city of Lauderdale
Lauderdale, Minnesota
Lauderdale is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,379 at the 2010 census. Lauderdale is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and is surrounded by Minneapolis, St...
on its way between Saint Paul and Roseville. Highway 280 is largely built against a slope, thus providing an excellent view of downtown Minneapolis to the west, particularly for southbound vehicles.
The route has a 50 MPH posted speed limit over its entire length.
Highway 280 is built to freeway standards from its interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Interstate 94 to its interchange with East Hennepin Avenue / Larpenteur Avenue, although the entrance / exit ramps at Como Avenue are rather tight. This section of the route has auxiliary lanes between University Avenue and the Kasota Avenue/Energy Park Drive exit. There is a signal-controlled
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
intersection at Broadway Street NE on southbound Highway 280 only. The Highway 280 / Interstate 35W interchange in Roseville is incomplete, so traffic from Highway 280 northbound can not reach Interstate 35W southbound without using intersecting surface streets, and the same is true for northbound Interstate 35W traffic attempting to reach southbound Highway 280.
History
Highway 280 was authorized on July 1, 1949, but did not begin construction until 1955. It was completed between Highway 36Minnesota State Highway 36
Minnesota State Highway 36 is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate 35W in Roseville and continues east to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line , where it becomes Wisconsin Highway 64 upon crossing the St. Croix River...
and Kasota Avenue in 1959 and to University Avenue (at that time, highways 12
U.S. Route 12 in Minnesota
U.S. Route 12 is a highway in west-central and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the South Dakota state line at Ortonville near Big Stone Lake and continues east to the St. Croix River at the Wisconsin state line. U.S. 12 in Minnesota is in length...
, 52
U.S. Route 52 in Minnesota
U.S. Highway 52 enters the state of Minnesota at the unincorporated community of Prosper, north of the town of Burr Oak, Iowa. The route is marked north–south in Minnesota along its independent segment from the Iowa state line to downtown St. Paul...
, 56
Minnesota State Highway 56
Minnesota State Highway 56 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 63 near the Iowa state line and Chester, Iowa, and continues north to its northern terminus at its junction with U.S...
, and 218
Minnesota State Highway 218
Minnesota State Highway 218 was a highway that originally ran from U.S. Route 218 in St. Paul to U.S. Route 210 in Brainerd. In 1935, it was extended south to Owatonna along the former route of U.S. 218...
) in 1961. The highway was linked to Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
in 1968 upon the freeway's completion between Minneapolis and St. Paul.
South of Como Avenue, Highway 280 was widened and ramps improved in the mid 1990s. The Larpenteur Avenue / East Hennepin Avenue interchange in Lauderdale
Lauderdale, Minnesota
Lauderdale is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,379 at the 2010 census. Lauderdale is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and is surrounded by Minneapolis, St...
was reconstructed in 2009 to eliminate the tight, no-acceleration lane ramps. The intersection at County Road B was also closed permanently in 2009, as was the unsignaled intersections at Roselawn Avenue and Walnut Street. With construction completed in December 2009, the signal at Broadway Street was modified to allow left turns from northbound Highway 280, thus maintaining a stoplight for southbound Highway 280 only, but Broadway Street traffic is now only able to turn right (south). Thus, Highway 280 is now, in a sense, a northbound freeway only with a single stoplight for southbound traffic.
The 2009 construction project also rehabilitated the concrete pavement between Interstate 94 and Territorial Road. The project also included replacement of the BNSF Railroad bridge located on Larpenteur Avenue to the west of Highway 280; placement of a new median
Central reservation
On divided roads, such as divided highways or freeways/motorways, the central reservation , median, parkway , median strip or central nature strip is the area which separates opposing lanes of traffic...
on Highway 280 from south of Como Avenue to Larpenteur Avenue; and noisewalls were constructed along the east side of Highway 280.
Originally, Highway 280 was proposed in the 1960s to continue farther; turning westward, south of its Interstate 94 junction in Saint Paul; and then continue west into Minneapolis, as a freeway running roughly along 28th Street. This route would have continued westbound to about France Avenue South. This freeway was never built, and the ramp stubs
Unused highway
An unused highway is a highway or highway ramp that was partially or fully constructed, but was unused or later closed. An unused ramp can be referred to as a stub ramp, stub street, stub-out, or simply stub.-Examples:...
at the Interstate 94 / Highway 280 junction in Saint Paul were removed in the early 1980s.
Highway 280 as detour route for I-35W
Because of the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge Collapse in nearby Minneapolis on August 1, 2007, Highway 280 was designated by Mn/DOTMinnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...
as the official detour route for I-35W, resulting in Highway 280 being converted temporarily to a full freeway by closing the intersections
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...
at County Road B, Broadway Street, Walnut Street, and Roselawn Avenue. Despite the new replacement I-35W bridge opening September 18, 2008, many of the at-grade intersections on Highway 280 were not re-opened.
Plans for a permanent Highway 280 reconfiguration, per information provided by Mn/DOT officials at the open house meeting on October 21, 2008, involved the following:
- Closing access for County Road B on the east side of Highway 280, but keeping a right-in / right-out private entrance on the west side of Highway 280 for the business located there, Paper Calmenson.
- Closing Roselawn Avenue access completely.
- Closing Walnut Street access completely, except for emergency vehicles only.
- For Broadway Street, southbound traffic on Highway 280 will be allowed to make right-in/right-outRight-in/right-outRight-in/right-out and left-in/left-out refer to a type of road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. RIRO is usual where vehicles drive on the right, and LILO is usual where vehicles drive on the left...
turns. Traffic on Broadway Street will not be able to make a left turn to head northbound on Highway 280, however northbound traffic on Highway 280 will be allowed to make a left turn onto Broadway Street to enter the businesses on that side. This unique intersection will effectively make northbound Highway 280 a freeway while still making a stoplight at Broadway Street necessary for traffic heading southbound on Highway 280. Mn/DOT proposed making Highway 280 a complete freeway, but pressure from the businesses on the west side caused them to do the above mentioned configuration.
- The crosswalk at Broadway Street to cross Highway 280 will be removed.
Construction began in the Spring of 2009, along with the replacement for the Larpenteur Avenue / East Hennepin Avenue interchange along Highway 280. The construction project was completed in December 2009.