Route Development
Timeline:
Note: No construction project log was available for
this control section. Construction info was taken from available construction
plans, aerial photos, highway maps, and St. Paul Survey Office Records.
September, 1926 - Initial Conditions: U.S. Highway
61 is first marked along State Highway 3 between St. Paul and the Wisconsin
state line at La Crosse. The highway within the city limits of St. Paul
is not technically part of the trunk highway system due to the wording
of the constitutional amendment that authorized the system in 1920.
U.S. 61 and Highway 3 use Point Douglas Road between the south city
limits and the junction with Hudson Road (State Hwy. 12, U.S. 10, and
U.S. 12) on St. Paul's east side. Official highway maps as early as
1923 indicate that the road is paved. St. Paul Survey Office notebooks
show a great deal of work done in 1921, which seems to pin this as the
time of paving. Apparently, Pt. Douglas Road north of Burns Avenue was
paved with brick (paved at an earlier unknown date), while the road
south of Burns to the South City Limits was paved with concrete, 24
feet wide.
May 4, 1934: State Highway 3 is retired in Ramsey
County due to redundancy with U.S. 61. U.S. 61's route within the city
limits of St. Paul is officially taken over by the state due to legislative
action in 1933.
May, 1935: U.S. Highway 10 is duplexed with U.S. Highway
61 south from St. Paul to the turn-off towards Prescott in southern
Washington County.
1937-40 - Divided Upgrade / Realignment / Reconstruction:
From the junction with U.S. 12 at St. Paul to just south of Carver Avenue.
This massive project appears to have occurred between 1937 and 1940
according to dates on various highway plans. The new road is generally
four lanes. It ends on the north at a new modern interchange with U.S.
12 (U.S. 12 was also upgraded to four lanes to the east limits of St.
Paul). The interchange with U.S. 12 is partially grade separated, with
the northbound U.S. 61 ramp passing under U.S. 12 before merging with
westbound traffic into St. Paul. The four-lane section was paved with
22 feet of concrete for each lane, with 8 foot paved bituminous shoulders.
The lanes south of Lower Afton Road are generally only separated by
a narrow 2.5 foot wide raised island. The divided section ends just
south of Highwood Avenue ( the junction with Hwy. 100). South of Highwood,
a new two-lane road is constructed to just south of Carver Avenue, where
it merges back with the old concrete pavement from 1921. The two lane
section at the south end of the project appears to have been paved with
bituminous instead of concrete.
The plans indicate that a great deal of the construction of various
drainage structures, flumes, dams, and retaining walls was done by WPA
crews. Especially interesting is the entrance to Battle Creek Park.
The entrance is actually a partial grade-seperated interchange, with
a ramp passing under the main highway providing the main point of access.
The creek itself is placed in a new flume and culvert under the highway.
A large number of new drives, pedestrian paths, parking areas and staircases,
and a bus stop are constructed (most of which are now gone). A roadside
park is also constructed at the intersection with Lower Afton Road.
Much of the original concrete road is left behind to the east of the
new highway, including one section north of Battle Creek, another from
Battle Creek to Linwood Avenue (now Springside Drive), and one last
tiny segment at the intersection with Carver Avenue. The old connection
to Hudson Road (Hastings Ave) on the north end is also left behind,
although the old road between Warner Road and Burns Avenue is destroyed.
1938: State Highway 100 is duplexed with U.S. 61/U.S.
10 south from Highwood Avenue to Newport after the Inver Grove Toll
Bridge is added to the trunk highway system.
1949 - Divided Upgrade / Realignment / Reconstruction:
From just south of Highwood Ave (Hwy. 100) to the Washington County
Line (construction continues south through Newport). This upgrade is
constructed as a southern extension of the work completed in 1940. Both
lanes are paved with 22 feet of concrete. A section of the old concrete
highway from 1921 still in use at the County line is left behind as
the north service drive.
1959 - Reconstruction: For .2 miles north of the Washington
County Line as part of the construction of the I-494 interchange. The
road is rebuilt and repaved with concrete, with a slight realignment
to straighten the highway at the county line.
Sometime between 1949 and 1968: The old concrete pavement
between U.S. 12 and the Washington County Line is paved over.
1962: Highway 100's duplex with U.S. 61/U.S. 10 and
its route via Highwood Avenue is retired after it is moved onto I-494
between the Wakota Bridge and Lake Road.
1968: Intersection improvements between U.S. 12 and
the Washington County Line. Turn lanes are added at nearly every intersection.
A stop-light is added at Burns Ave. The old intersection with Linwood
Avenue (Springside) is closed off, as well as several other extra intersections.
1975 - Reconstruction: At the junction with Interstate
94. I-94 is constructed along the alignment of what had previously been
U.S. 12. A new interchange is constructed, replacing the old interchange
constructed in 1940.
1986 - Reconstruction: From I-94 to the Washington
County Line. The old 4-lane highway constructed in the 1940's is completely
reconstructed from top to bottom. Many intersections are revised or
closed off to improve safety. The old entrance to Battle Creek Park
is removed (it appears to have been closed before the construction according
to a 1985 aerial photograph). A new entrance to the park is constructed
north and west from Lower Afton Road along the alignment of the original
concrete road constructed back in 1921. The construction of a bike path
is planned along the original highway surviving north of Battle Creek,
but is never constructed (the west section of the old road is closed
off and destroyed). The old junction with Highway 100 at Highwood Ave
is finally closed off. A park-n-ride is constructed at the location
of the old roadside park near Lower Afton Road.
1991: Intersection improvements at Lower Afton Road.
2002-2004 - Reconstruction: From just north of Carver
Avenue to the Washington County Line as part of the Wakota Bridge project.
The reconstructed highway is paved with concrete. A new interchange
is constructed with Bailey Road/Maxwell Avenue. Access to Carver Avenue
is restricted to a single on-ramp from Carver to northbound U.S. 61.
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Control Section Data:
Length: 4.721 Miles
Legal Authorization: Legislative Route 104
Fully Paved By: 1921
Paving/ Initial Development History:
- Unknown Date: Brick paving on Point Douglas Road north of Burns
Avenue in St. Paul. Work done by the city of St. Paul.
- ~1921: Burns Avenue to the Washington County Line. Work probably
done by the city of St. Paul.
Divided Sections: Entire Length
Divided Upgrade History:
- 1940: From the jct. with U.S. 12 to just south of Highwood Ave (Hwy.
100).
- 1949: From just south of Highwood Ave to the Washington County Line.
Other Designations:
- Great River Road (south of Warner Road only)
NHS: Entire Length
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Junctions and Duplexes:
Current Junctions and Duplexes:
Interstate Highway 94:
1975-Present: Junction and interchange at St. Paul. Interstate 94 was
constructed along the alignment of U.S. 12 between Hudson and St. Paul.
U.S. Highway 10:
1935-Present: Duplex.
1926-1935: Junction at Point Douglas Road and Hudson Road in St. Paul.
U.S. 10 is originally routed to Hudson, duplexed with U.S. 12.
U.S. Highway 12:
1940-Present: Junction and interchange at St. Paul. U.S. 12 is no longer
marked at the junction after completion of Interstate 94 in 1975.
1926-1940: Junction at Point Douglas Road and Hudson Road in St. Paul.
Historic Junctions and Duplexes:
State Highway 3:
1926-1934: Duplex. State Highway 3 is retired in 1934 due to redundancy
with U.S. 61.
State Highway 12:
1926-1934: Junction at Point Douglas Road and Hudson Road in St. Paul.
State Highway 12 is retired in 1934 due to redundancy with U.S. 12.
State Highway 100:
1938-1962: Duplex, south from the junction at Highwood Avenue. Highway
100 is removed from its route on Highwood Avenue in 1962 due to construction
on Interstate 494, and subsequently retired outside of Hennepin County
in 1964.
1934-1938: Junction, at Highwood Avenue. This junction acts as the southern
terminus of Highway 100 until the Inver Grove Toll bridge is added to
the trunk highway system in 1938.
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Surviving Old Alignments:
Point Douglas Road (1): From McLean Ave
to Burns Ave in St. Paul. Bypassed in 1940. The old city street was
originally paved with brick before 1921. Reconstructed/repaved.
Point Douglas Road (2): Accessible from
modern U.S. 61 from the first intersection north of Battle Creek (there
is no turn lane!). The old road starts at the top of the hill, where
the original concrete pavement constructed in 1921 is still intact.
Bypassed in 1940. Still a public street, although only one person resides
on it. Capped with a cul-de-sac in about 1986. Road is in poor condition,
with several broken trees partially blocking the street as of 2006.
Point Douglas Road (3): From Battle Creek
Park to just north of Springside Drive. Bypassed in 1940. Originally
paved in 1921. Section north of Lower Afton Road has been reconstructed
and widened. Southern section has been repaved, but otherwise appears
to be intact. Connects on the south with a service drive of later construction
that provides access to Springside Drive and Highwood Avenue.
Point Douglas Road (4): Short segment
at Carver Avenue, south past a small used car lot and the remains of
a miniature golf course.
Point Douglas Road (5): From about Stinchfield
Street to the first curve toward Bailey Road. Accessible via the north
service drive, south of Carver Avenue. Bypassed in 1940. Reconstructed.
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The U.S. Highway 61 Minnesota Reference Guide
