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 entering Lake City from Red Wing
(North Lakeshore Drive/Main St) is already paved with concrete, 18 feet
wide, completed in 1924. The concrete pavement ends at the junction
with State Highway 59 (future U.S. 63) at Lyon Avenue in downtown Lake
City. The original route of U.S. 61 through Lake City is on Lyon Ave
from Lakeshore Drive south for two blocks to Oak Street (duplexed with
State Highway 59), and then on Oak Street and what is now Camp Lakeshore
Drive out of town to the east. Lyon Avenue and Oak Street are still
gravel. The original alignment from Lake City to Wabasha is along what
are now County Roads 4 and 10. U.S. 61 enters Wabasha from the west
on what is now 9th Street. It then continues north on Gambia to Grant
Blvd, then east on Grant Blvd (4th Street) to Bridge Street, then north
on Bridge Street to 2nd Street, and finally east on 2nd Street towards
Pierce Street and the road to Kellogg. The entire route from Lake City
to the intersection of Bridge and 4th Streets in Wabasha is still gravel.
The rest of the route through Wabasha on Bridge, 2nd, and Pierce Streets
was paved with concrete earlier in the year as part of the paving of
the highway between Wabasha and Kellogg. The concrete pavement on the
city streets in Wabasha is only 18 feet wide, with wide gravel shoulders.
1927/28 - First Paving: The gravel on the entire route
from Lake City to Wabasha is oil treated, including the previously unpaved
city streets in Lake City and Wabasha (the eastern three miles is completed
in 1928). One section of the road is regraded in section 25, Pepin Township
at Brewery Creek in 1928 to replace an old bridge with a culvert.
1930 - Realignment: A new highway is constructed from
Lake City to Wabasha along the south shore of Lake Pepin, bypassing
the old route on modern County Roads 4 and 10. The new road begins in
Lake City at Oak and Illinois Streets (U.S. 61 uses Oak Street and Lyon
Avenue through town as before). At Wabasha, the new road ends at what
is now the intersection of Gambia Avenue and Hiawatha Drive. The new
road remains gravel. Construction includes a railroad overpass at Lake
City, and five other bridges over the various creeks between Lake City
and Wabasha (not including culverts).
1931/32 - Realignment: The rest of U.S. 61's new route
at Wabasha is completed east from Gambia Avenue along what is now Hiawatha
Drive / County Road 30, bypassing the original route through town (see
1926 description above). Although grading is completed in 1931, the
road is not opened to traffic until the railroad overpass bridge is
completed in 1932. A connecting road (called a "City Connection"
on the plans) is also constructed from Hiawatha Drive to 4th St (Grant
Blvd) along what is now Bridge Avenue. The gravel on the new road between
Lake City and Wabasha is oil treated instead of being paved with concrete.
A press release from the Minnesota Highway news dated Dec 12, 1931 states
that paving was postponed to allow the new grade to "settle".
May 4, 1934: State Highway 3 is retired in Wabasha
County due to redundancy with U.S. 61. State Highway 59 is redesignated
a U.S. route by the Department of Highways, possibly without the approval
of the AASHO.
May, 1935: U.S. Highway 59 is renumbered as U.S. 63
due to AASHO action. It is extended north from Lake City to Red Wing,
duplexed with U.S. 61.
1936 - Realignment / First Paving (Concrete): The
road constructed along the south shore of Lake Pepin between Wabasha
and Lake City in 1930 is finally paved with concrete, 20 feet wide.
A new approach to Lake City is also constructed which feeds traffic
directly onto Lakeshore Drive, bypassing the old route into town on
Oak and Lyon Streets. Lakeshore Drive in Lake City and Hiawatha Drive
in Wabasha are also paved. Plans show that Lake City added an extra
18 feet of concrete pavement to either side of the pavement constructed
by the Department of Highways between Lyon and Marion Streets in downtown.
Plans also show the construction of a pedestrian underpass on Lakeshore
Drive, just east of Marion St in Lake City.
1938-40: Roadside development in Lake City. A circular
concourse, decorative wall, and walk are constructed along Lakeshore
Drive on the east approach into town (still extant). According to a
MnDOT report, the straight walls were constructed in 1938, and the curved
parking area and wall were completed in 1940.
1939: Two roadside rest areas with historic markers
are constructed along the highway between Lake City and Wabasha (one
of these was being restored as of late 2007 after being added to the
national register of historic places).
1941: The shoulders on Hiawatha Drive in Wabasha are
paved on either side of the concrete pavement constructed in 1936 east
of Bridge Avenue.
1954 - Reconstruction: As part of the reconstruction
of the highway between Lake City and Red Wing, Lakeshore Drive (aka
Main Street) is widened west from Lyon Avenue to the Goodhue County
line. The old 18 foot concrete pavement constructed in 1924 is covered
under a new bituminous surface. The driving surface is widened to allow
for four lanes of traffic (the finished road is 64 feet wide, curb to
curb, 3 and half times wider than the old driving surface!). A traffic
signal is added at the junction with U.S. 63 at Lyon and Lakeshore (Main).
1969: Modernization and repaving/widening between
Lake City and Wabasha. The old concrete surface constructed in 1936
is paved over. Turn lanes and new guard rails are constructed. (Construction
is east from the junction with U.S. 63 at Lyon Avenue to just north
of the junction with County Road 10). This work is done in conjunction
with the construction of the Wabasha/ Kellogg bypass.
1970 - Divided Upgrade / Realignment: The modern bypass
of Wabasha is constructed, replacing the old route through town on Hiawatha
Drive. The new highway is 4-lanes to just south of the junction with
Highway 60. The north end of the new road merges back to two lanes just
north of the junction with County Road 10 (plans call this a "temporary
connection" though it still in use more than 35 years later). A
short stretch of the old road is re-used as the northbound lane from
just south of County Road 10 to the end of the temporary connection
(it is modernized, repaved, and widened). The Department of Highways
repaves Hiawatha Drive before turning it back to Wabasha County. A connection
between the new highway and the old alignment is also constructed. Hiawatha
Drive becomes part of County Road 30.
1973: The 4-lane highway north of the junction with
Highway 60 is repaved and given paved shoulders as part of the completion
of the four-lane section between Kellogg and Wabasha.
1984/85? - Reconstruction: Reconstruction and bridge
replacement on the east side of Lake City - from Oak Street to the junction
with County Road 4. A new, more elevated grade is constructed south
from Garden Street for the railroad overpass and crossing of Miller
Creek. New bridges are constructed on the new grade, replacing the bridges
constructed in 1930. The road east of Miller Creek is repaved and the
shoulders are widened. The entire highway through Lake City to Wabasha
is also repaved.
1986: The bridge over Handshaw Coulee (#4946, constructed
in 1930) on the east side of Lake City (at the junction with County
Road 4) is replaced with a box culvert. The junctions with County Road
4 and Camp Lakeview Road are also reconstructed to their current configurations.
1987/88? - Reconstruction/ Bridge Replacement: Three
bridge replacements and approach reconstructions between Lake City and
Wabasha. The following bridges (all constructed in 1930) are replaced:
Bridge #4948 over a dry-run in section 13, Lake Township - Bridge #4949
over King Creek, and Bridge #4950 over Dutchman Coulee. The bridges
over the dry-run and Dutchman Coulee are replaced with culverts. All
of the old bridges constructed in 1930 between Lake City and Wabasha
are now gone (excepting culverts).
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Control Section Data:
Length: 14.279 Miles.
Legal Authorization: Constitutional Route 3
Fully Paved By: 1928 (initial), 1936 (final concrete).
Paving/ Initial Development History:
- 1926: City streets in Wabasha as far west as the intersection of
Bridge and 4th Streets.
- 1927: Oil treating of road from Lake City to 3 miles west of Wabasha.
- 1928: Oil treatment from 3 miles west of Wabasha to Bridge and 4th
Streets in Wabasha.
- 1936: Final concrete paving of first modern highway between Lake
City and Wabasha.
Divided Sections: From State Hwy. 60 to just northwest
of County Road 10.
Divided Upgrade History:
- 1970: State Hwy. 60 to County Road 10.
Other Designations:
- Great River Road
- Disabled American Veterans Highway
NHS: Entire Length
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Junctions and Duplexes:
Current Junctions and Duplexes:
U.S. Highway 63:
1936-Present: Duplex, from Lake City to Red Wing from the junction
at Lakeshore Drive (Main St) and Lyon Avenue in Lake City.
1935-1936: Duplex, from Lake City to Red Wing from the junction at Oak
Street and Lyon Avenue in Lake City.
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:
U.S. Highway 59:
1934-1935: Duplex, on Lyon Avenue between Lakeshore Drive and
Oak Street in Lake City. U.S. 59 replaces State Highway 59 in the May
4, 1934 renumbering. U.S. 59 is redesignated U.S. Highway 63 a year
later in May, 1935.
State Highway 3:
1926-1934: Duplex. State Highway 3 is retired on May 4, 1934 due to
redundancy with U.S. 61.
State Highway 59:
1926-1934: Duplex, on Lyon Avenue between Lakeshore Drive
and Oak Street in Lake City. State Highway 59 is redesignated U.S. Highway
59 in the May 4, 1934 renumbering.
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Surviving Old Alignments:
Lyon Ave and Oak Street, Lake City: South and west
of the modern highway in central Lake City. Lyon Ave for two blocks
between Lakeshore Drive and Oak Street, Oak Street from Lyon Avenue
to Illinois Street. Bypassed in 1936.
Camp Lakeview Road and Oak Street, Lake City: East
of the modern highway on the east end of town. Bypassed in 1930. Reconstructed/repaved.
East connection to modern U.S. 61 realigned in the early/mid 80's (it
once connected to County Road 4).
County Roads 4 and 10 between Wabasha and Lake City:
Bypassed in 1930. Reconstructed/repaved. The east end of County Road
10 is on a different alignment than the old road used by U.S. 61, now
gone. The west connection to modern U.S. 61 has also been realigned
(County Rd 4 once connected to Camp Lakeview Road).
County Road 30/Hiawatha Drive, Wabasha: Bypassed in
1970. West end of the old alignment west of Phelps Ave does not follow
the curve that connects to modern U.S. 61, instead continuing straight
ahead as an access drive to a dump.
2nd St, Bridge Ave, 4th St/Grand Blvd, Gambia Ave, 9th St,
Wabasha: Bypassed in 1932. 9th Street dead-ends, the old connection
to County Road 10 is long gone.
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The U.S. Highway 61 Minnesota Reference Guide
