U.S. Route 53

U.S. Route 53
Length:	403[1] mi (649 km)
Formed:	1926[1]
South end:	US 14 / US 61 / WIS 16 at La Crosse, WI
Major junctions:	I-90 at La Crosse, WI I-94 at Eau Claire, WI US 12 at Altoona, WI WIS 29 at Lake Hallie, WI US 63 at Spooner, WI US 2 at Superior, WI I-35 / I-535 at Duluth, MN US 169 / TH 169 at Virginia, MN US 71 / TH 11 at Int'l. Falls, MN
North end:	Hwy 71 to Hwy 11 / TCH at Fort Frances, ON
United States Numbered Highways List – Bannered – Divided – Replaced

U.S. Route 53 is a north-south U.S. highway that runs for 403 miles (649 km) from La Crosse, Wisconsin to northern Minnesota. It is the primary north-south route in northwestern Wisconsin, serving as a vital link between I-94 at Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the city of Duluth, Minnesota. The entire route from Eau Claire to the city limits of Superior, Wisconsin is a four lane divided highway. The highway's northern terminus is at the Fort Frances-International Falls Bridge in International Falls, Minnesota, at the U.S.-Canadian border. Its southern terminus is in La Crosse, Wisconsin, at U.S. Highway 14.

Route description

Wisconsin

The highway begins at its southern terminus with a junction at U.S. 14, U.S. 61, and Wisconsin Highway 16 in downtown La Crosse. From there, U.S. 53 crosses Interstate 90 and becomes a freeway bypass of Onalaska and Holmen before proceeding north to Eau Claire as a two-lane road. The interchange with Interstate 94 at Eau Claire begins a freeway / expressway stretch for U.S. 53 north to the city limits of Superior. The recently built (circa 2006) freeway in Eau Claire, bypasses most of the city, alleviating congestion on the original route (signed now as both "Business U.S. 53" and Hastings Way.) Business U.S. 53 / Hastings Way is a mix of grade-separated interchanges and at-grade intersections, and is routed through Eau Claire, passing within about 1-mile (1.6 km) of downtown Eau Claire. Other smaller towns between Eau Claire and Superior (Solon Springs and Minong) were bypassed in a similar manner.

Wisconsin's first single-point urban interchange is found along the new U.S. 53 bypass of Eau Claire, at its interchange with U.S. 12, in Altoona.^[2]

U.S. 53 continues as a freeway north of Eau Claire past Chippewa Falls to Rice Lake, where it becomes an expressway with only two grade-separated interchanges (one at Wisconsin Highway 70 near Spooner and one at Wisconsin Highway 13, immediately southeast of Superior). U.S. 53 has a partial grade-separated interchange with U.S. 2, but traffic turning onto U.S. 2 eastbound must take a U-turn at an at-grade crossover past the interchange.

After passing through the city of Superior as a four lane surface street (East Second Street), U.S. 53 then approaches the Saint Louis Bay. U.S. 53 then runs together with Interstate 535 and crosses the bay via the John Blatnik Bridge into Minnesota.

Minnesota

U.S. Highway 53 enters the state at the city of Duluth on the John Blatnik Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay. U.S. 53 is concurrent with I-535 for 2.8 miles (4.5 km) as it enters Minnesota.

U.S. 53 / I-535 has an interchange with I-35 in Duluth, known locally as the "Can of Worms"; and features a pair of left exits from I-35, a stoplight, and lane drops over the I-35 bridge.^[3]

After its junction with I-35, U.S. 53 continues through Duluth on the recently upgraded Piedmont Avenue and Trinity Road for 3.5 miles (5.6 km).

U.S. 53 is then concurrent with State Highway 194 for six miles (10 km), from Trinity Road in Duluth to Lindahl Road in the city of Hermantown. This four-lane stretch of Highways 53 and 194 are also known as the Miller Trunk Highway in the cities of Duluth and Hermantown.

From Hermantown, the route proceeds north to the city of Virginia. The portion of the route from Duluth to Virginia is a four-lane expressway. U.S. 53 has an interchange with U.S. 169 in Virginia. Immediately north of Virginia, U.S. 53 has an interchange with State Highway 169 in Wuori Township.

U.S. 53 then proceeds northwest to International Falls, where it has a junction with U.S. 71 and State Highway 11.

U.S. Highway 53 in Minnesota passes through Saint Louis and Koochiching counties.

A section of U.S. 53, from north of the city of Virginia to Cook, is under construction. This is part of a long range goal of providing a four-lane highway to Canada as part of the Falls-to-Falls Corridor.

Legally, the Minnesota section of U.S. 53 is defined as Routes 106, 11, and 315 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.115(37), (246), and 161.114(2).

Designations

• A portion of Highway 53 in Minnesota is officially designated the Voyageurs Highway. The Voyageurs Highway is a state designation that is also applied to various other state highways in Minnesota.

• The 2008 Minnesota Legislature named Highway 53 between Superior Street and Central Entrance in the city of Duluth as Walter F. Mondale Drive. On June 12, 2008, this section of highway (Piedmont Avenue and Trinity Road) was dedicated as Walter F. Mondale Drive in honor of the former Vice President's public service.

History

U.S. Highway 53 in Minnesota was completely paved by 1940.

The expressway section between Duluth and Virginia was constructed by 1970, except just north of Duluth. This section and a U.S. 53 bypass around Virginia were completed in the 1970s.

A new four lane divided highway section of U.S. 53 in Duluth was constructed in 2004. This section of the route is known locally as Piedmont Avenue. Previously, from 1934 to 2004, this same section of U.S. 53 was a narrow two-lane road that proceeded up the hill to a six-legged intersection.

A new U.S. Highway 53 interchange with State Highway 169 in Wuori Township was built in 2006.

Major intersections

Wisconsin

County	Location	#[4]	Destinations	Notes
End Freeway - continues as 2-lane road southbound to Brackett, Holmen, Onalaska, and La Crosse
Eau Claire	Eau Claire	84A	I-94 east – Madison	Exit number not marked on northbound lanes
		84B	I-94 west  – St. Paul	Exit number not marked on northbound lanes
		85	CTH AA  – Golf Rd
		86	US 53 Bus. to WIS 93  – Hastings Way	Northbound
			WIS 93 south – La Crosse	Southbound
	Altoona	87	US 12  – Clairemont Ave	Wisconsin's only SPUI[citation needed]
		89	River Prairie Dr
	Eau Claire	90	WIS 312 / CTH Q  – North Crossing
Chippewa	Lake Hallie	92	Melby St	Lake Hallie use Exit 92
		94	WIS 124 / CTH OO / US 53 Bus. – Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie
		95A-B	WIS 29 – Menomonie, Green Bay
	Chippewa Falls	96	CTH X / WIS 29 Bus. – Menomonie, Chippewa Falls
		99	CTH S – Chippewa Falls, Jim Falls
	Tilden	102	CTH B – Tilden
	Bloomer	110	WIS 40 – Bloomer, Colfax
		112	WIS 64 – Cornell, New Richmond
	New Auburn	118	CTH M – New Auburn
Barron	Chetek	126	CTH I – Chetek
	Cameron	135	US 8 – Barron, Cameron
	Rice Lake	140	CTH O – Rice Lake
		143	WIS 48 – Rice Lake, Cumberland
Freeway ends - continues north as expressway with one diamond interchange at WIS 70 and one at WIS 13 .

Minnesota

This section requires expansion.

See also

• List of U.S. Routes

References

*Steve Riner Details of Routes 51 to 75. Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page. Accessed December 10, 2008.

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