Lost U.S. 61: Farm Entrance Road, Rolling Stone Township

 

In 1965 the Department of Highways replaced the old concrete highway completed in 1926 between Minnesota City and Minneiska with a new road that is now the southbound lane of the modern 4-lane highway. Much of the old road was left behind and closed to traffic until the modern northbound lane was constructed over it in 1978.

Although most of the modern four lane highway was constructed along the alignment of the original road, a backwater of the Mississippi River just north of Minnesota City had to be filled in during the initial 1965 construction to allow the new highway to be straightened. This allowed a short section of the old road to survive just west of the new highway. As part of the project, it was converted into a farm entrance road and the surviving pavement was buried with gravel to reduce the need for maintenance.

Today, the farm entrance road is accessible from the first cross-over north of the junction with Highway 248 at Minnesota City. The driveway on the old grade has been modernized and paved since 1965, although the extent of the old grade is still visible.