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Lost U.S. Highway 61 - Minnesota
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Lost U.S. 61: Old Alignments Between Red Wing and Wacouta
Bypassed In: 1953
Also Marked As: 
1935-1953 
1924-1934
The original concrete highway between Red Wing and Lake City, completed in 1925, was replaced by a more modern grade in a project that lasted from 1953 until 1955. The new highway featured several realignments between Red Wing and Wacouta, leaving behind a few sections of the old road, two of which still survive today as service drives.
Old Rail Crossing
One of the heaviest realignments on the new road was at the rail crossing just east of the State Training School on the east end of Red Wing. The alignment was changed to allow for a more gradual curve. This required the construction of a new bridge over the tracks. Although most of the new highway was completed in 1954, the new bridge over the railroad tracks was not completed until 1955. U.S. 61 and U.S. 63 were temporarily forced to use the old alignment and bridge until construction could be completed. After 1955 the original road and bridge were demolished. A small clearing in the trees at the training school is the only sign remaining of the old crossing. The old bridge, No. 3930 - constructed in 1924, was an 85 foot concrete girder structure.
East of the modern rail crossing the original road's alignment was more southerly, meeting the modern highway just to the west of the Cem-Stone plant. A creek near the plant was routed onto a new channel and culvert and the old bridge, No. 3808 - a 20 foot concrete slab structure, was abandoned and removed.
Postcard from my personal collection
Above, a scan of a postcard, showing the original concrete highway leaving the east side of Red Wing (presumably).
271st Street
Just a bit further to the east, a long stretch of the original concrete road was left behind as a service drive, now marked as 271st Street on the north side of the modern highway, providing access to Sevastopol Road. The original concrete pavement still survives on the east end of the service drive, although the eastern access point to the highway has been closed. A drive-in theatre once existed on the west end of the frontage road, but has now been replaced by a church.
Hillside Drive
The next service drive on the north side of the highway at Wacouta is yet another section of the old highway, now labeled alternatively as 278th Street or Hillside Drive. The old concrete on this stretch has been paved over and widened a bit, but is otherwise little changed since it was bypassed in 1953.
Photos:
Photos were taken in May, 2005.
Looking southeast at the west end of Hillside Drive. The modern highway runs just to the right of the trees.
Looking west from the west end of Hillside Drive. Notice how the old grade continues past the metal barrier. Modern U.S. 61/U.S. 63 is on the left.
Lost U.S. Highway 61 - Minnesota
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