Route Development
Timeline:
September, 1926 - Initial Conditions: U.S. 61 is first
marked along State Highway 3 between The Wisconsin State Line at La
Crescent and St. Paul. The highway from Kellogg to Wabasha had already
been developed and paved with concrete (18 feet wide) over a series
of projects between 1923 and 1926. Dodge Street in Kellogg had been
paved in 1925 to just south of the ramp leading to the railroad overpass
bridge at Winona Street. The ramps and bridges over the railroad tracks
at Kellogg had been completed in 1923, as well as the bridge over the
Zumbro River (this section was paved earlier in 1926). Regrading and
paving of the rest of the road from Kellogg to Wabasha was completed
sometime in the summer of 1926. The 1926 project also included the paving
of U.S. 61's original route through Wabasha on Pierce, 2nd Street, and
Bridge Street (the concrete pavement ended at Bridge and 4th Streets).
1931/32 - Realignment: A new alignment is constructed
for U.S. 61 around the south side of Wabasha on what is now Hiawatha
Drive / County Road 30, bypassing the old route through town constructed
in 1926 on Pierce, 2nd, and Bridge Streets. The grade is completed in
1931 and oil treated and opened to traffic in 1932. The new alignment
merges with the old concrete road to Kellogg at what is now the intersection
of Hiawatha Drive and Pierce Street. Sidewalks are also constructed.
May 4, 1934: State Highway 3 is retired in Wabasha
County due to redundancy with U.S. 61.
1936: Hiawatha Drive in Wabasha is paved with concrete,
only 20 feet wide. Curbs and gutters are also installed.
1941: The shoulders on Dodge Street in Kellogg and
on Hiawatha Drive in Wabasha are paved on either side of the existing
concrete pavement.
1954: A traffic signal is added at the junction with
State Highway 60 in Wabasha (at Hiawatha and Pembroke, labeled as 2nd
Street and Jackson in 1954).
1964: The old concrete highway from the north end
of the bridge over the Zumbro River at Kellogg to Pierce Street in Wabasha
is widened and paved over with a new 24 foot wide bituminous surface
over the old pavement. The bridge over a creek on the south side of
Wabasha, constructed in 1920, is also removed and the gap in the road
is filled in.
1970 - Realignment / Divided Upgrade: The first phase
of the Wabasha/Kellogg bypass is constructed, bypassing the old 2-lane
concrete road constructed in the 1920's and 30's. The southbound lane
is fully completed, while the northbound lane is only partially completed,
with a gap from just south of Squaw Valley Road to just south of the
junction with Highway 60. Construction includes a set of bridges over
the Zumbro River. Old Highway 61 between Wabasha and Kellogg becomes
County Road 30. Old U.S. 61 on Dodge Street in Kellogg becomes part
of County Road 18. The Highway Department covers the old concrete pavement
on Hiawatha Drive in Wabasha with a new bituminous surface before turning
the road back to the county.
1973 -Divided Upgrade: The rest of the northbound
lane from just south of Squaw Valley Road to just south of the junction
with State Highway 60 is completed.
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Control Section Data:
Length: 5.660 Miles.
Legal Authorization: Constitutional Route 3
Fully Paved By: 1926.
Paving/ Initial Development History:
- 1925: Dodge Street in Kellogg, as far north as Winona Street.
- 1926: Kellogg to Wabasha.
Divided Sections: Entire Length
Divided Upgrade History:
- 1970: From State Hwy. 42 at Kellogg to Squaw Valley Road, and at
the junction with State Hwy. 60.
- 1973: Squaw Valley Road to State Hwy. 60.
Other Designations:
- Great River Road
- Disabled American Veterans Highway
NHS: Entire Length
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Junctions and Duplexes:
Current Junctions and Duplexes:
State Highway 42:
1970-Present: Junction at Kellogg.
1938-1970: Junction at Kellogg, at the modern jct. of Co. Rd 18 and
Co Rd. 84.
1926-1938: Junction at Dodge and Belvidere Streets
in Kellogg.
State Highway 60:
1970-Present: Junction on the south side of Wabasha.
1935-1970: Junction at Hiawatha Drive and Pembroke Avenue in Wabasha.
1934-1935: Junction at Hiawatha Drive and Phelps Avenue in Wabasha.
Historic Junctions and Duplexes:
State Highway 3:
1926-1934: Duplex. State Highway 3 is retired on May 4, 1934 due to
redundancy with U.S. 61.
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Surviving Old Alignments:
Pierce Avenue, 2nd Street, Bridge Street, 4th/Grant Blvd, Wabasha:
North of County Road 32/ Hiawatha Drive only. Bypassed in 1932. Reconstructed/repaved.
County Road 30/ Hiawatha Drive: Between Wabasha and
Kellogg. Bypassed in 1970. Reconstructed/repaved. Dead-ends on the south
at the Zumbro River.
Dodge Street, Kellogg: Bypassed in 1970. Reconstructed.
Alignment ends on the north at Winona Avenue. Old ramp towards the Zumbro
River visible on the north end, blocked with a storage shed.
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The U.S. Highway 61 Minnesota Reference Guide
