Interstate 694

Infobox road
state=MN
type=I
route=694
maint=Mn/DOT

---

length_mi=31
length_round=2
length_ref=Fact|date=July 2008
established=1985
direction_a=West
terminus_a=jct|state=MN|I|94|I|494 in Maple Grove
junction=jct|state=MN|I|94 in Brooklyn Center, MN
jct|state=MN|I|35W in New Brighton, MN
jct|state=MN|I|35E in Little Canada, MN
direction_b=East
terminus_b=jct|state=MN|I|94|I|494 in Woodbury
previous_type=MN
previous_route=610
next_type=MN
next_route=1

Interstate 694 (I-694) is a 31 mile (50 km) east-west auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The western terminus of the route is at Interstate 94 and Interstate 494 in Maple Grove. The eastern terminus is at I-94 and I-494 in Woodbury. The route comprises the northern and northeastern portions of a beltway around the Twin Cities, with Interstate 494 forming the remainder of the beltway.

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), but can only reach 55 mph (90 km/h) inside the loop (changes are proposed as of 2005, however).

I-694 interchanges with multiple interstates, including Interstate 35W in New Brighton and Interstate 35E in Little Canada. The route is also concurrent to I-94 for eight miles from Maple Grove to Brooklyn Center.

Route description

Mileposts are numbered to increase while traveling eastbound (clockwise). They are in sequence with the numbering of Interstate 494, where the numbering begins and ends at the Minnesota River. Between Maple Grove and Brooklyn Center, they correspond to the beltway numbering, not I-94 mileage.

I-694 has problems with "weave" interchanges. The Unweave the Weave project is underway to disentangle I-694 and I-35E. The project will aid in traffic flow, driver safety, and improve the condition of the roadway. [cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/unweave/|title=Unweave the Weave - Minnesota Dept. of Transportation|accessdate=2007-08-01] Another weave project involving U.S. Highway 10 and Minnesota State Highway 51 is scheduled to begin around 2012.Fact|date=August 2007 This interchange sometimes creates one of the worst bottlenecks in the Twin Cities due to the changing of one lane to continue west on Interstate 694 between Minnesota State Highway 51 and U.S. Highway 10.

Legally, the route of Interstate 694 is defined as part of Route 393 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.12(5). [ [http://ros.leg.mn/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP_SEC&year=2006&section=161.12 161.12, Minnesota Statutes 2006 ] ]

History

Interstate 694 was originally built in the early 1970s as the thoroughfare for the northern Twin Cities suburbs and surrounding areas.Fact|date=August 2007 These include the cities of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, New Brighton, Arden Hills, Shoreview, Little Canada, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, Maplewood, Oakdale, Pine Springs, and Woodbury.

Exit list

References