Minnesota State Highway 55

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Trunk Highway 55 marker
Trunk Highway 55
Floyd B. Olson Memorial Highway
MN 55 highlighted in red
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
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. Light rail trains on the Blue Line, and Little Earth Trail and Hiawatha LRT Trail for bicyclists/pedestrians, run 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/US Highway 52 Northbound. MN 55 now exits just before downtown at the westbound I-94/Northbound US 52 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/US 52 southbound, 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 joins 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, diverges from Highway 62, and then has a junction with State Highway 13.

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]

The original alignment for Highway 55 in Minneapolis was along old U.S. Highway 52 (now Hennepin CSAH 81) to Rockford Road, then Rockford Road to MN 55's present-day alignment (now Hennepin CSAH 9). The present-day alignment was constructed in the early 1950s.[3]

Major intersections[]

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Bois de Sioux River0.0000.000 ND 11 west – FairmountContinuation into North Dakota
North Dakota–Minnesota state line
WilkinCampbell Township3.4965.626 US 75 – Wheaton, Breckenridge
Champion Township10.70617.230 MN 9 – Morris, Breckenridge
GrantPomme de Terre Township27.83244.791 US 59 north – Fergus FallsWestern end of US 59 overlap
Elbow Lake31.23050.260 MN 79 east – EvansvilleWestern terminus of MN 79
31.89251.325 CSAH 54 south – HermanFormer MN 54
Barrett38.82062.475 US 59 south – MorrisEastern end of US 59 overlap
Hoffman45.68673.524 MN 27 – Wheaton, Alexandria
PopeBen Wade Township61.13598.387 MN 114 north – GarfieldWestern end of MN 114 overlap
Lowry61.79899.454 MN 114 south – StarbuckEastern end of MN 114 overlap
Reno Township68.804110.729 MN 29 – Glenwood, Alexandria
Glenwood70.914114.125 MN 28 – Glenwood, Sauk Centre, MorrisInterchange
StearnsBelgrade93.643150.704 US 71 south – WillmarWestern end of US 71 overlap
Crow River Township94.636152.302 US 71 north – Sauk CentreEastern end of US 71 overlap
KandiyohiRoseville Township105.917170.457 MN 4 north – Meire GroveWestern end of MN 4 overlap
StearnsPaynesville108.205174.139 MN 23 – Willmar, St. CloudInterchange
MeekerUnion Grove Township113.487182.640 MN 4 south – Grove CityEastern end of MN 4 overlap
Eden Valley119.497192.312 MN 22 – Litchfield, Richmond
StearnsKimball131.977212.396 MN 15 / MN 24 south – Dassel, St. CloudWestern end of MN 24 overlap
WrightAnnandale141.622227.919 MN 24 north – ClearwaterEastern end of MN 24 overlap
Buffalo155.195249.762 MN 25 (Central Avenue) – Monticello
HennepinPlymouth180.515290.511 I-494Interchange; I-494 Exit 22
Plymouth–Golden Valley line183.052294.594 US 169Interchange
Golden Valley186.600300.304 MN 100Interchange
Minneapolis189.640305.196 I-94 west / US 52 northWestern end of I-94 overlap; I-94 exit 230
See I-94
191.887308.812 I-94 east / US 52 southEastern end of I-94 overlap; I-94 exit 234A
191.944308.904 I-35W north / 7th Street / 3rd Street / Washington Avenue – University of MinnesotaWestbound left exit and eastbound left entrance
192.619309.990

 To CSAH 5 (Franklin Avenue) / CSAH 152 (Cedar Avenue)		Interchange
193.521311.442 CSAH 3 (East Lake Street)SPUI interchange

 Great River Road (National Route) (East 44th Street)		Western end of Great River Road overlap
Unorganized Territory of Fort Snelling197.430317.733 MN 62 west (Crosstown Highway)Interchange; western end MN 62 overlap
198.052318.734 CSAH 204 south (Bloomington Road)Fort Snelling Historic Site signed westbound
198.373319.250 MN 5 – Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, St. Paul
Minnesota River198.424–
199.204		319.332–
320.588		Mendota Bridge
DakotaMendota Heights199.357320.834 MN 62 eastEastern end of MN 62 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
200.141322.096
 MN 13 / Great River Road (National Route) – MN 62		At-grade intersection; Eastern end Great River Road overlap
Eagan202.409325.746 MN 149 north (Dodd Road north)Western end of MN 149 overlap
202.943326.605 MN 149 south (Dodd Road south)Eastern end of MN 149 overlap
Inver Grove Heights205.005329.924 MN 3 (South Robert Trail)
206.421332.202 CR 73 (Barnes Avenue)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
206.753332.737 US 52 north (Lafayette Freeway) – St. PaulWestern end of US 52 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
328.733529.044
 CSAH 56 (Concord Boulevard) / Great River Road (National Route)		Former MN 56; western end of Great River Road overlap
Inver Grove Heights–Rosemount line210.290338.429117th Street
Rosemount211.074339.691 US 52 south – RochesterEastern end of US 52 overlap; eastern end of freeway section; interchange eastbound, access via connector road westbound
CSAH 42 westWestern end of CSAH 42 overlap
Nininger Township
 CSAH 85 south / CSAH 42 east / Great River Road (National Route)		Eastern end of CSAH 42 and Great River Road overlap
Hastings220.572354.976 US 61Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References[]

Route map:

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KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ a b Minnesota Department of Transportation. "Statewide Trunk Logpoint Listing" (PDF). St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  2. ^ Minnesota Statutes section 161.14 subd. 3 - https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=161.14
  3. ^ a b Riner, Steve. "Details of routes 51–75". The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Self-published. Retrieved October 23, 2010.[self-published source]
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