37-582: Interstate 494 ( I-494 ) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94 , circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota . The 42.94-mile (69.11 km) road is coupled with I-694 (which circles the northern edge of the Twin Cities metro area) at each end and composes more than half of the major beltway of
74-692: A loop route ) completely surrounds a metropolitan city, and it is often connected with multiple junctions to other routes. Unlike other auxiliary Interstate Highways (and by extension, all primary Interstate Highways ), beltways do not have termini; however, they have a place where the highway mileage resets to zero. Beltways are also preceded by an even number in the first digit. Some examples of beltways include: Minneapolis%E2%80%93Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport ( IATA : MSP , ICAO : KMSP , FAA LID : MSP ) — also less commonly known as Wold–Chamberlain Field —
111-601: A founding member of ROAR, promised that the city would challenge the changes. In 2005, the cities of Minneapolis, Eagan, and Richfield and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority filed a lawsuit against the MAC, which was settled with a Consent Decree in 2007. The terms in the Consent Decree specified levels of sound insulation for homes within a fixed boundary of projected aircraft noise exposure around MSP. Upon
148-657: A light rail route, on the airport grounds. Travelers can use the line to connect between the two terminals. No fare is charged for passengers only travelling between Terminal 1 and 2, and service between the terminals operates all day (the rest of the line shuts down for about four hours overnight). Beyond the airport, the Blue Line travels to downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America in nearby Bloomington . Metro Transit also operates bus route 54 to St. Paul. The Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Joint Air Reserve Station at MSP
185-485: A subset of highways within the United States' Interstate Highway System . The 323 auxiliary routes generally fall into three types: spur routes , which connect to or intersect the parent route at one end; bypasses , which connect to the parent route at both ends; and beltways , which form a circle that intersects the parent route at two locations. Some routes connect to the parent route at one end but to another route at
222-446: A typical 3-digit Interstate Highway, bypasses usually have both its two termini junctioned with another Interstate highway. Bypass routes are preceded by an even number in the first digit. Examples include: In the case of an auxiliary Interstate highway which has both ends at Interstates but not the same Interstate, some states treat these as bypasses while others treat these as spurs—see Spur route above. A beltway (also known as
259-601: Is a joint civil-military public international airport serving the Twin Cities in the U.S. state of Minnesota . It is located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory . Although situated within the unorganized territory, the airport is centrally located within 10 miles (16 kilometers; 9 nautical miles) of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul . In addition to primarily hosting commercial flights from major American and some international airlines,
296-596: Is a major hub for Delta Air Lines . It also serves as the home airport for Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines . Delta Air Lines and its regional affiliates account for about 70% of the airport's passenger traffic. The airport is operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission , which also handles the operation of six smaller airports in the region. What is now known as Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport started in 1919 as Speedway Field when several local groups came together to take control of
333-632: Is home to the 934th Airlift Wing (934 AW), an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) unit and the 133d Airlift Wing (133 AW) of the Minnesota Air National Guard . Both units fly the C-130 Hercules and are operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC). The 934th consists of over 1,300 military personnel, of whom approximately 250 are full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel. The 133rd
370-507: Is named after vice president Hubert Humphrey , who also had represented Minnesota in Congress. The terminal buildings are directly located off of Minnesota State Highway 5. Several other major highways that border the airport are Minnesota State Highway 62 , Minnesota State Highway 77 , and Interstate 494 . Metro Transit , the region's public transportation provider, operates the Blue Line ,
407-560: Is now at least three lanes in each direction for its entire route. A major reconstruction/widening project of I-494 was completed in late 2006 between US Highway 212 (US 212)/ MN 5 in Eden Prairie and Carlson Parkway at Minnetonka –Plymouth. There were plans for up to six lanes in each direction for parts of I-494 in Bloomington , but the majority of the city only sees four lanes and sees five in only two spots: eastbound at
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#1732851522096444-566: Is scoped between US 169 to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport . The road sees over 500,000 passengers per day, with it being congested for more than 30 percent of the day. So far, MnDOT has determined to add E-ZPass Minnesota lanes eastbound from France Avenue to MN 77 and westbound from MN 77 to I-35W. They also plan to construct a turbine-style ramp for northbound I-35W from westbound I-494. In an effort to reduce congestion on
481-565: Is still currently underway. The rest of the corridor is still being studied, with plans for construction to begin between 2022 and 2024. The 494 Corridor Commission , also known as 494 Commuter Services , is a nonprofit organization aimed at reducing traffic congestion along the southwest section of the I-494 corridor. In 1988, the cities of Bloomington , Eden Prairie , Edina , Minnetonka , and Richfield joined to address traffic congestion and work toward improving I-494. The organization's mission
518-515: Is to promote economic growth and regional prosperity through improved transportation options along the highway, such as carpooling and bus transit. The organization's board of directors consists of representatives from each of the five member cities, MnDOT , the Metropolitan Council , and the private business community. Auxiliary Interstate Highway Auxiliary Interstate Highways (also called three-digit Interstate Highways ) are
555-425: Is used mostly for charter and low cost airlines, including Minnesota-based Sun Country and Southwest , but is also used for Condor , Icelandair and JetBlue . The terminal has since been expanded and has a total of 14 gates. The colored labeling system for concourses in both terminals was replaced beginning in 2000 with the current system of lettered concourses. Due in part to aircraft noise in south Minneapolis,
592-423: Is usually one of the following: Examples include: Sometimes, a three-digit Interstate Highway branches off from another three-digit Interstate Highway. These spurs do not connect directly with their parent highways, but are associated with them via the three-digit highways they do intersect with. Examples include: A bypass route may traverse around a city, or may run through it with the mainline bypassing. In
629-649: The 1973 oil crisis . The exit numbering of I-494 is unusual in that it begins at the Minnesota River heading westbound (between Eagan and Bloomington ) and continues clockwise around the entire beltway, continuing clockwise onto I-694 . The last exit east of the Minnesota River is exit 71 to Pilot Knob Road. The first exit west of the river is exit 1A, which grants access to eastbound Minnesota State Highway 5 (MN 5) and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport . The most significant landmark on
666-498: The 934th Airlift Wing (934 AW). The airport is located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory. Although sections of the airport border the city limits of Minneapolis and Richfield the airport property is not part of any city or school district. MSP covers 2,930 acres (1,186 ha) of land. The airport generates an estimated $ 15.9 billion a year for the Twin Cities ' economy and supports 87,000 workers. MSP
703-734: The US ;169 interchange in Bloomington and continues to slow at the interchange with MN 100 , at the Bloomington– Edina city line. However, traffic is the worst at the interchange for I-35W , which is located at the Bloomington–Richfield city line. Currently, information about the study is on the City of Bloomington's website, with more information starting to come from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The plan
740-836: The East Bush Lake Road exit and further eastbound at the point where I-494 and MN 5 separate from each other. Expansion of the Wakota Bridge between Newport and South St. Paul over the Mississippi River was completed in mid-2010. The bridge is named so because it connects Washington and Dakota counties. Near the end of this effort, I-494 was widened from two to three lanes in each direction between Lake Road and I-94 in Woodbury . Since its opening, I-494 has been subjected to numerous traffic problems, both eastbound and westbound. Vehicles eastbound usually start to slow down at
777-689: The Highland Park neighborhood in St. Paul, and surrounding suburbs, proposals were made in the 1990s to build a new airport on the fringes of the Twin Cities metro in Dakota County to handle larger jets and more international traffic. Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other neighboring cities were concerned that such a move would have a negative economic impact, so an arrangement was made where the Metropolitan Airports Commission would outfit many homes in
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#1732851522096814-645: The New Terminal, was completed on January 13, 1962, and operations began on January 21. Pier D (formerly the Gold Concourse, now Concourse G) was completed in 1971 and Pier A (formerly the Green Concourse, now Concourse C) was completed in 1972 as part of an expansion of the terminal designed by Cerny Associates. This project also involved rebuilding the existing concourses into bi-level structures equipped with holding rooms and jet bridges . The Gold Concourse
851-818: The US and Canada. MSP's high ranking was accredited to its recently updated facilities. In 2023, Minneapolis-Saint Paul was recognized by analytics company Cirium as the world's most punctual international airport, having on-time departure and arrival rates of 84.44% and 84.62% respectively. Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport has two terminals with a total of 131 gates. International arrivals are processed in Concourse G in Terminal 1, and in Terminal 2. The two terminals are located about one mile (1.6 km) apart and accessed from separate exits of Minnesota State Highway 5 . The arrangement can be confusing for some drivers, as
888-634: The airport is also home to several United States Air Force and Minnesota Air National Guard operations. The airport is also used by a variety of air cargo operators. MSP is the busiest airport in the Upper Midwest . A joint civil-military airport, MSP is home to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Joint Air Reserve Station , supporting both Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard flight operations. Units stationed there include
925-405: The completion of the noise mitigation program in 2014, more than 15,000 single-family homes and 3,303 multi-family units around MSP were provided noise mitigation at cost of $ 95 million. A 2022 J.D. Power survey concluded that with ranking the largest US and Canadian airports on a 1,000 point scale based on traveler satisfaction, the airport received a score of 800, ranking it the best airport in
962-512: The former bankrupt Twin City Speedway race track. The first hangar was a wooden structure, constructed in 1920 for airmail services. The Minneapolis Park Board took possession of Speedway Field on June 1, 1928, and in 1929, passenger services began. In 1923, the airport was renamed "Wold–Chamberlain Field" for the World War I pilots Ernest Groves Wold and Cyrus Foss Chamberlain. In 1944 the site
999-496: The highway and on exits as well, MnDOT is planning to close all ramps at Nicollet Avenue and 12th Avenue and construct a full-access interchange at County State-Aid Highway 35 (CSAH 35; Portland Avenue), with two onramps and two offramps to replace the ramps. Problems have been addressed throughout the entire corridor, with all the highways being included. Construction for the Metro Orange Line tunnel began in 2019 and
1036-633: The length of I-494 is Mall of America , just south of the intersection of I-494 and MN 77 . Legally, the route of I-494 is defined as part of unmarked legislative route 393 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.12(5). I-494 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway. Construction on I-494 first began in the late 1950s, and it was finally completed in 1985. With the most recent expansion completed in November 2016 in Plymouth , I-494
1073-433: The numbers can repeat from state to state along their route, but they will not repeat within a state. There are three states that have no auxiliary Interstate Highways: Alaska, Arizona, and New Mexico. North Dakota has an auxiliary route, but it is unsigned , and Wyoming's does not meet Interstate Highway standards. Auxiliary Interstates are divided into three types: spur , loop , and bypass routes. The first digit of
1110-687: The other end; some states treat these as spurs while others treat them as bypasses. Like the primary Interstate Highways , auxiliary highways meet Interstate Highway standards (with rare exceptions ). The shorter auxiliary routes branch from primary routes; their numbers are based on the parent route's number. All of the supplement routes for Interstate 95 (I-95) are designated with a three-digit number ending in "95": I-x95. With some exceptions, spur routes are numbered with an odd hundreds digit (such as I-395 ), while bypasses and beltways are numbered with an even hundreds digit (such as I-695 ). Because longer Interstates may have many such supplemental routes,
1147-631: The region. I-694/I-494 also act as loop routes for I-35E and I-35W . The speed limit on I-494 is 60 mph (97 km/h). Interstate Highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph (110 km/h). Most highways inside the loop are signed at speeds of 55 mph (89 km/h) or lower, though a few exceptions were added in September 2005, allowing speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) in some places. Those roads had been signed at 60 mph (97 km/h) or higher up until
Interstate 494 - Misplaced Pages Continue
1184-422: The standard numbering guidelines exist for a number of reasons. In some cases, original routes were changed, extended, or abandoned, leaving discrepancies in the system. In other cases, it may not be possible to use the proper number because the limited set of available numbers has been exhausted, causing a "non-standard" number to be used. A spur route 's number usually has an odd number for its first digit. It
1221-432: The terminals are not connected within the airport facilities, meaning that taking the wrong exit can cause a delay of several minutes, and require the use of lightrail public transit or the roadway to travel between terminals. In 2010, signage along Highway 5 was updated to make it more clear which airlines serve each terminal. Terminal 1 is named after aviator Charles Lindbergh , who was raised in Minnesota and Terminal 2
1258-509: The three digits usually signifies whether a route is a bypass, spur, or beltway. The last two digits are derived from the main Interstate Highway. For instance, I-115 contains an odd number in the first digit (1), which indicates that this freeway is a spur. The last two digits signify the highway's origin. In this case, the "15" in I-115 shows that it is a supplement to I-15 . Exceptions to
1295-521: The vicinity of the airport with sound insulation and air conditioning so that indoor noise could be reduced. A citizen group named ROAR (Residents Opposed to Airport Racket) was created in 1998 and helped push the MAC to make these concessions. Later, in 2004, the MAC voted to reduce funding for the soundproofing projects, saying in part that the economic climate had turned in the wake of the September 11 attacks . Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak , who had been
1332-435: Was expanded in 1986 and included the airport's first moving walkway. Concourses A and B opened on June 1, 2002, as part of a $ 250 million terminal expansion designed by Minneapolis-based Architectural Alliance. The final component of the project included a $ 17.5 million extension of Concourse C consisting of six additional gates, which opened on October 31, 2002. Terminal 2 was first built in 1986 and then rebuilt in 2001. It
1369-564: Was renamed to "Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan Airport/Wold-Chamberlain Field", with "International" replacing "Metropolitan" four years later. Today it is rare to see the Wold–Chamberlain portion of the name used anywhere. Ground was broken for the current Terminal 1 building on October 26, 1958. The US $ 8.5 million, 600,000 square foot (56,000 m ) terminal with 24 gates on two concourses was designed by Lyle George Landstrom. who worked for Cerny Associates. The terminal, then referred to as
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