old61 Historic U.S. 61: Old Highway 61 - Wyoming to the St. Louis County Line

Photo Tour, Part 5 - Carlton County Road 5 (Otter Creek) to Highway 210

Old Highway 61 - Otter Creek to Hwy 210

Located In: Carlton County.

Bypassed: 1967

Length: 3.9 miles.

Type: Modernized highway.

Status: Mostly intact, rebuilt at the I-35 underpass at Otter Creek, and at the Hwy 210 interchange west of Carlton.

View Map Key Old Highway 61 is shown in light blue, I-35 in dark blue, and all temporary connections in orange.

The stretch of County Road 61 between Otter Creek and Highway 210 was the shortest piece of U.S. 61 to be retired by the construction of I-35. Both ends of this stretch were rebuilt as part of the freeway's construction.

I-35 Underpass at Otter Creek

The construction of the I-35 underpass in the late 1960's required a slight southerly realignment of the old highway (see map below - compare the dotted blue line with the location of the current county road).

At the Highway 210 Interchange West of Carlton


After a few miles, County Road 61 ascends a slight rise to pass over the BNSF railway. Just to the north of that is the Highway 210 exit on I-35. The pre-interstate highway passed directly through the site of the interchange, where it once met U.S. 210 (retired in about 1970, now State Hwy 210), as well as State Highway 33 towards Cloquet after 1948, which later became the alignment chosen for I-35 (see map below for an overview).


A temporary connection had to be built for U.S. 61 in order to bypass the construction at the exit. It is still in use by County Road 61 today. A right turn onto Highway 210 is required to continue on Old 61 into Carlton.

>> Continue to Part 6 - Carlton County Road 5 to Highway 210

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