Interstate 494

Interstate 494 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Maintained by Mn/DOT
Length:	43 mi[1] (69.20 km)
Formed:	1985
West end:	I-94 / I-694 in Maple Grove, MN
Major junctions:	I-394 in Minnetonka, MN I-35W in Bloomington, MN I-35E in Mendota Heights, MN US 52 in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota US 61 in Newport, Minnesota
East end:	I-94 / I-694 in Woodbury, MN
Minnesota State Highways < I-394 I-535 >

Interstate 494 (I-494) is a loop route making up 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. I-694/I494 also act as loop routes for Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W.

The highway has a few intersections with other interstates:

• Interstates 94 and 694 in Woodbury/Oakdale
• Interstate 35E in Mendota Heights, Minnesota
• Interstate 35W in Bloomington, Minnesota
• Interstate 394 in Minnetonka, Minnesota
• Interstates 94/694 (concurrent) in Maple Grove, Minnesota

The speed limit on I-494 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). Most highways inside the loop 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 (97 km/h) in some places. Those roads had been signed at 60 mph (97 km/h) 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. Expansion of the Wakota Bridge is underway over the Mississippi River. It is named so because it connects Washington County and Dakota County. A major reconstruction/widening project was completed in fall 2006 between Minnesota State Highway 5 West/U.S. Highway 212 East (Exits 11B and C) and Carlson Parkway (Exit 20). Plans for up to six lanes in each direction for parts of I-494 in Bloomington, Minnesota are proposed but not yet funded.

Route description

Legally, the route of Interstate 494 is defined as part of Route 393 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.12(5). [1]

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.

Exit list

This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. Please help by adding the missing mileposts.

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Washington	Woodbury			I-694 north	Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance
			58	I-94 – St. Paul, Madison	Signed as exits 58A (west) and 58B (east)
			58C	Tamarack Road
			59	Valley Creek Road	Past unsigned southern terminus of Highway 120
			60	Lake Road
	Newport		63	US 10 / US 61 / Bailey Road – St. Paul, Hastings	Signed as exits 63A (west/north) and 63B (east/south)
			63C	Maxwell Avenue
Dakota	South St. Paul		64A	Hardman Avenue
			64B	TH 156 (Concord Street)
			65	5th Avenue, 7th Avenue
	Inver Grove Heights		66	US 52 – St. Paul, Rochester
			67	TH 3 (Robert Street) / TH 110
	Eagan, Mendota Heights		69	TH 149 (Dodd Road) to TH 55
			70	I-35E – St. Paul, Albert Lea
			71	CR 31 (Pilot Knob Road)
Hennepin	Bloomington		1A	TH 5 east - Main Terminal, St. Paul via 7th Street	Counterclockwise end of TH 5 overlap
			1B	34th Avenue — HHH Terminal
			2A	24th Avenue
			2BC	TH 77	Signed as exits 2B (north) and 2C (south)
	Bloomington, Richfield
			3	12th Avenue, Portland Avenue
			4A	Nicollet Avenue
			4B	Lyndale Avenue
			5	I-35W – Minneapolis, Albert Lea	Signed as exits 5A (north) and 5B (south)
			6A	CR 32 (Penn Avenue)
	Bloomington		6B	CR 17 (France Avenue)
			7A	TH 100
			7B	CR 34 (Normandale Boulevard)
			8	CR 28 (East Bush Lake Road)	Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance
			10	US 169	Signed as exits 10A (north) and 10B (south)
	Eden Prairie		11	US 212	Signed as exits 11A (west) and 11B (east)
			11C	TH 5 west	Clockwise end of TH 5 overlap
			12	CR 39 (Valley View Road)	Counterclockwise exit and clockwise entrance
			13	TH 62 / CR 62
	Minnetonka
			16	TH 7	Signed as exits 16A (east) and 16B (west)
			17	Minnetonka Boulevard
			19	I-394 east / US 12 – Minneapolis, Wayzata	Signed as exits 19A (east) and 19B (west)
	Plymouth		20	Carlson Parkway
			21	CR 6
			22	TH 55
			23	CR 9 (Rockford Road)
	Maple Grove		26	CR 10 (Bass Lake Road)
			27	I-94 west – St. Cloud
				I-94 east / I-694	Clockwise exit and counterclockwise entrance

See also

• 494 Commuter Services

References

• Adam Froehlig (November 22, 2003). Interstate Highway 494. Minnesota State Highway Endings. Accessed May 17, 2005.
• Steve Riner (December 27, 2004). Details of Routes 288-694. Accessed May 17, 2005.
• Interstate 494 Minnesota. Interstate-Guide.com. Accessed May 17, 2005.

External links

• Mn/DOT: I-494 Reconstruction

v • d • e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 94 North Dakota: 194 (unsigned) — Minnesota: 394 • 494 • 694 — Wisconsin: 794 • 894 — Illinois: 294 — Michigan: 194

Coordinates: 45°01′46″N 93°27′09″W / 45.02938°N 93.45245°W / 45.02938; -93.45245