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{{cleanupint}}
{{Routeboxint |
route_type    = reg |
article_route = 494 |
type          = Auxiliary |
year_established =  ([[1985]])|
length_mi     = 43 |
length_km     = 69 |
direction_a   = West|
direction_b   = East|
terminus_a    = [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] [[Image:Interstate 694.svg|25px]] [[I-94]]/[[I-694]] in [[Maple Grove, MN]] |
terminus_b    =  [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] [[Image:Interstate 694.svg|25px]] [[I-94]]/[[I-694]] in [[Woodbury, MN]]|
junction      = [[Image:I-35E.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 35E (Minnesota)|I-35E]] in [[Mendota Heights, MN]]<br>
[[Image:I-35W.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 35W (Minnesota)|I-35W]] in [[Bloomington, MN]]<br>
[[Image:Interstate 394.svg|25px]] [[I-394]] in [[Minnetonka, MN]] }}

Interstate 494 (abbreviated I-494 or simply 494) is part of a beltway of Interstate 94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The 43-mile (69 km) road is coupled with Interstate 694 (which goes to the north) at each end, and composes more than half of the major beltway of the region. This is apparently the only interstate highway loop in the United States that has separately-numbered sections (the Twin Cities region also has an east/west-split in Interstate 35, similar to the Dallas/Fort-Worth area). I-494 and I-694 also act as loop routes for Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W.

The highway has a few intersections with other interstates:

Exit numbering is unusual in that it begins at the Minnesota River heading westbound (between Bloomington and Mendota Heights), and continues clockwise around the entire beltway. The last exit is #71 to Pilot Knob Road. The most significant landmark on the length of I-494 is the Mall of America, just south of the intersection of I-494 and Minnesota State Highway 77.

For the most part, the speed limit is 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). Interstate highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph (110 km/h). Within the loop, most highways are signed at speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h) or lower, though a few exceptions were added in September 2005, allowing speeds of up to 60 mph in some places. Those roads had been signed at 60 mph or higher up until the gasoline crises of the 1970s.

Construction on the road first began in the late 1950s, and it was finally completed by about 1985. Upgrades continue to be made to widen the road to at least three lanes in each direction, including construction of the Wakota Bridge (named because it connects Washington County and Dakota County) over the Mississippi River. Also a major reconstruction/widening project is underway between Minnesota State Highway 5 West/U.S. Highway 212 East (Exits 11B and C) and Carlson Parkway (Exit 20).

See also

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References

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[[Category:Interstate Highways in Minnesota|94-4]] [[Category:Three-digit Interstate Highways|94-4]] {{3di|94}}

Exit table

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Minnesota

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Mile Exit eastbound Exit westbound City Interchange type Notes
58A BEGIN   South (END  )   I-94 West
Saint Paul
Oakdale cloverleaf
58B   I-94 East
Madison
58C Tamarack Rd Woodbury folded diamond no exit number indicated on MnDOT official map 2004; 58C a guess
59 Valley Creek Rd diamond
60 Century Ave folded diamond
63A     US 10 West US 61 North
Saint Paul
Newport cloverleaf (?)
63B     US 10 East US 61 South
Hastings
63C 4th Ave half diamond
Mississippi River (Wakota Bridge)
64A Hardman Ave South Saint Paul folded diamond
64B   MN 156/Concord Blvd folded diamond
64C 4th Ave/7th Ave diamond w/frontage road
65 7th Ave/4th Ave
66   US 52/Lafayette Frwy Inver Grove Heights cloverleaf with collector-distributor lane
67     MN 110/MN 3
Mendota Rd/Robert St
directional Y leading to folded diamond with  
  MN 3 TO   MN 110
Robert St
half diamond
69   MN 149 TO   MN 55
Dodd Rd
Eagan folded diamond
70   I-35E
Saint Paul
Albert Lea
cloverstack, flyover from WB   to SB  
70A   I-35E North
Saint Paul
70B   I-35E South
Albert Lea
71 County Rd. 31/Pilot Knob Rd. folded diamond
Minnesota River
1   MN 5 East
34th Ave S
MSP Airport Terminals
Bloomington semi-directional Y integrated with diamond at 34th Ave Use   for Lindbergh (Main) Terminal; 34th for Humphrey Terminal
1   MN 5 East
MSP Airport Lindbergh Terminal
Saint Paul
2A 34th Ave S
MSP Airport Humphrey Terminal
2B 24th Ave S SPUI Use exits 2B or 2C for Mall of America
2C   MN 77
Cedar Ave
cloverstack
3 12th Ave S/Portland Ave S diamond w/frontage road
Portland Ave S/12th Ave S
4B Nicollet Ave S diamond
5A   I-35W North
Minneapolis
cloverleaf
5B   I-35W South
Albert Lea
6A Penn Ave S diamond
6B County Rd. 17/France Ave S diamond?
7A   MN 100 North cloverleaf
7B County Rd. 34/Normandale Blvd
8 East Bush Lake Rd half diamond
10   US 169 parclo or cloverleaf w/ c-d lanes?
11A Prairie Center Dr
  US 212 West
Flying Cloud Dr
Eden Prairie two half diamonds
11B   US 212 East   US 212 cloverleaf
11C   MN 5 West TO   (Future  )
12 County Rd. 39/Valley View Rd half diamond
13   MN 62/County Rd. 62 diamond
16A   MN 7 East Minnetonka cloverleaf?
16B   MN 7 West
17 Minnetonka Blvd folded diamond SB ramps to/from McGinty Rd
19A    I-394/US 12 East
Minneapolis
cloverleaf
19B   US 12 West
Wayzata
? Carlson Parkway Plymouth diamond According to [1] and [2], these exits are unnumbered.
? County Rd. 6 diamond
22   MN 55 diamond
23 County Rd. 9/Rockford Rd diamond
26 County Rd. 10/Bass Lake Rd diamond
27   I-94 West
Saint Cloud
BEGIN   South (END  ) Maple Grove Directional Y "Fish Lake Interchange"
END  
BEGIN    East
  1. ^ Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2003-2004 Official Highway Map.
  2. ^ Rand McNally. The Road Atlas '05