U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota

Infobox road
state=MN
type=US
route=169 (MN)
highway_name=U.S. Highway 169
length_mi=
length_ref=
length_round=
established=
direction_a=South
direction_b=North
starting_terminus=Jct|state=IA|US|169 in Elmore, MN
at the Minnesota - Iowa state line
junction=Jct|state=MN|I|90 in Blue Earth
Jct|state=MN|MN|30 in Amboy
Jct|state=MN|US|14|MN|60 in Mankato
jct|state=MN|MN|19 east of Henderson
Jct|state=MN|I|494|MN|5 in Bloomington
Jct|state=MN|I|94|I|694 in Brooklyn Park
Jct|state=MN|US|10|MN|47 in Anoka
Jct|state=MN|US|10|MN|101 in Elk River
Jct|state=MN|MN|95 in Princeton
Jct|state=MN|MN|23 in Milaca
Jct|state=MN|MN|210 in Aitkin
Jct|state=MN|US|2 in Grand Rapids
Jct|state=MN|MN|37|MN|73 in Hibbing
ending_terminus=Jct|state=MN|US|53|MN|169 near Virginia, MN
previous_type=MN
previous_route=156
next_type=MN
next_route=169
U.S. Route 169 is a major north-south route in the U.S. state of Minnesota, connecting the Minnesota River valley with the Twin Cities and the Iron Range. Much of the route is built to expressway or freeway standards.

Route description

U.S. 169 enters Minnesota at Elmore as a two-lane, undivided highway. It continues as such through Blue Earth where it crosses Interstate Highway 90. At its junction with Minnesota Highway 60, 169 joins that road's expressway.

In Mankato and North Mankato, 169 functions as an arterial highway, passing directly through the cities' downtown area. From Mankato north to Shakopee, the road remains an expressway, except for the section passing through Saint Peter, where 169 is the main street through town.

55 miles of U.S. 169 from Saint Peter to I-494 in Bloomington is officially designated the "John A. Johnson Memorial Highway". This includes the Bloomington Ferry Bridge between Shakopee and Bloomington. This designation is marked as "Johnson Memorial Drive" on some maps, but not marked as such on directional signs, nor commonly known by this name.

In the Minneapolis area, the route is constructed to freeway standards between Interstate Highway 494 and Hennepin County Road 81. Construction to link the freeway north of I-494 with the freeway segment a few miles south of I-494 is underway. The freeway between Interstate 494 and Interstate 694 was originally built by Hennepin County as "County Road 18". In 1988, "County Road 18" was transferred to the state of Minnesota and became the new alignment for Highway 169 in the Minneapolis area. In exchange, Hennepin County took over maintenance of two other highways that were formerly state routes.

Also in the Minneapolis area, U.S. 169 is often very congested. However, since the freeway passes very close to residential neighborhoods in many locations, any expansion of the freeway would disrupt housing stock in the surrounding area.

North of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, U.S. 169 continues as an expressway to Mille Lacs Lake, an important resort area. The highway skirts the western shore of the lake. 74 miles of U.S. 169 from Elk River to Garrison is officially designated the "POW / MIA Memorial Highway". From Mille Lacs Lake, U.S. 169 continues northward to its junction with U.S. 2 at Grand Rapids. Here, 169 turns northeasterly to reach the cities of the Mesabi Iron Range.

At Pengilly, U.S. 169 becomes an expressway and remains such for the rest of its run. It passes through the cities of Hibbing, Chisholm, and Mountain Iron before reaching U.S. 53 at the city of Virginia. This four-lane stretch of 169 is also known as the "Highway 169 Cross Range Expressway".

U.S. 169 is one of three Minnesota U.S. marked highways to carry the same number as an existing state marked highway within the state. The others being Highways 61 and 65.

The Minnesota section of US 169 is defined as all or part of Routes 5, 7, 383, 3, 18, and 35 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.117(4). [http://ros.leg.mn/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP&year=2006&section=161#stat.161.114.0] , [http://ros.leg.mn/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP&year=2006&section=161#stat.161.117.0]

Exit list for freeway section in Twin Cities

References

*Rand McNally Road Atlas - 2007 edition - Minnesota entry
*Official State of Minnesota Highway Map - 2007/2008 edition