U.S. Highway 61 - Interstate Upgrade Timeline
The following timeline gives the dates when sections of U.S. 61's route were moved onto the Interstate Highway System; the dates do not necessarily refer to the year the freeway was completed.
I-35 generally replaced U.S. 61 between the town of Wyoming in the northern Twin Cities metro and the city of Duluth. U.S. 61 was duplexed with I-35 on this stretch until the AASHTO approved U.S. 61's retirement north of Wyoming in 1990.
On the other hand, Interstates 90 and 94 replaced only short stretches of U.S. 61's historic route. I-90 replaced the old two-lane road in the Mississippi River Valley through the towns of Dresbach and Dakota. I-94 replaced the old divided highway on the east side of St. Paul between Johnson Parkway and Mounds Boulevard.
Timeline
1962
- Interstate 35 - From exit 180 south of Hinckley to exit 195 north of Sandstone. Temporary upgrade, U.S. 61 moved off of this duplex with I-35 in 1963.
1964
- Interstate 90 - In the Dresbach / Dakota area.
1965
- Interstate 35 - From exit 169 at Pine City, to exit 191 at Sandstone.
1967
- Interstate 35 - From exit 191 at Sandstone to exit 214 at Moose Lake.
- Interstate 35 - From Otter Creek (at Carlton Co. Rd. 5, a temporary ramp) to exit 235 west of Carlton.
- Interstate 35 - From just west of Boundary Avenue in Proctor to exit 251A (Cody Street) in Duluth.
1969
- Interstate 35 - From exit 135 at Wyoming to exit 169 at Pine City.
1970
- Interstate 35 - From exit 214 at Moose Lake to Carlton County Road 5 at Otter Creek.
1972
- Interstate 35 - From the Cody Avenue exit to the east junction at the Mesaba Avenue interchange in downtown Duluth.
1974
- Interstate 35 - From exit 235 west of Carlton to exit 245 (now the interchange with County Road 61) at the Carlton / St. Louis County Line.
1975
- Interstate 94 - On the east side of St. Paul, between the east interchange near Johnson Parkway and the Mounds Boulevard exit.
1977
- Interstate 35 - From exit 245 at the Carlton / St. Louis County Line to just west of Boundary Avenue in Proctor.
1989
- Interstate 35 - In downtown Duluth, from the Mesaba Avenue interchange to a temporary interchange near E 10th Street in Duluth (ramps from the freeway to Superior Street).
1990
- Retirement of the duplex with I-35 between exit 135 at Wyoming and the temporary interchange near E 10th Street in Duluth.
Geographic Timeline (South to North)
- 1964 - Interstate 90 - In the Dresbach / Dakota area.
- 1975 - Interstate 94 - On the east side of St. Paul, between the east interchange near Johnson Parkway and the Mounds Boulevard exit.
Duplex with I-35 (Retired in 1990)
- 1969 - Interstate 35 - From exit 135 at Wyoming to exit 169 at Pine City.
- 1965 - Interstate 35 - From exit 169 at Pine City, to exit 191 at Sandstone.
- 1962 - Interstate-35 - from exit 180 south of Hinckley to exit 195 north of Sandstone. Temporary upgrade, U.S. 61 moved off of this duplex with I-35 in 1963.
- 1967 - Interstate 35 - From exit 191 at Sandstone to exit 214 at Moose Lake.
- 1970 - Interstate 35 - From exit 214 at Moose Lake to Carlton County Road 5 at Otter Creek.
- 1967 - Interstate 35 - From Otter Creek (at Carlton Co. Rd. 5, a temporary ramp) to exit 235 west of Carlton.
- 1974 - Interstate 35 - From exit 235 west of Carlton to exit 245 (now the interchange with County Road 61) at the Carlton / St. Louis County Line.
- 1977 - Interstate 35 - From exit 245 at the Carlton / St. Louis County Line to just west of Boundary Avenue in Proctor.
- 1967 - Interstate 35 - From just west of Boundary Avenue in Proctor to exit 251A (Cody Street) in Duluth.
- 1972 - Interstate 35 - From the Cody Avenue exit to the east junction at the Mesaba Avenue interchange in downtown Duluth.
- 1989 - Interstate 35 - In downtown Duluth, from the Mesaba Avenue interchange to a temporary interchange near E 10th Street in Duluth (ramps from the freeway to Superior Street).
