Minneapolis "Loop" - The I-35W/I-94 Interchange And Parallel Freeways (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
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I-35W I-94 Hiawatha Ave.
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Arguably one of the most convoluted, complicated, delay-prone, and flat-out bizarre freeway interchange in the world, but at least it's well-marked!!
At the southern end of the "loop", as it is called (and the project to "fix" it called "unlooping the loop"), the I-35W freeway suddenly splits from the normal one-set of northbound lanes and one-set of southbound lanes to two of each - resulting in two side-by-side complete freeways!
What happens is that for northbound traffic, one set (the right one) is marked as being the continuation of I-35W North and I-94 East, while the other set (the left one) is for I-94 West and highway 65 into downtown Minneapolis.
If one is utilizing the left freeway, the I-94 westbound transition is as typical a freeway "fly-over" ramp as you'd find anywhere else. Highway 65 quickly turns into city streets.
The other freeway, however, continues by making a 90-degree turn to the right, and is now on the middle of another parallel freeway system, with the I-94 thru-lanes on the outside, while the I-35W thru-lanes are in the inside.
As if that wasn't enough, there are further exit lanes and merging traffic from both Hiawatha Avenue and Washington Street downtown at the east end of "the loop".
Drivers in Minnesota, however, can rest assured that everything in the state is well marked. It has to be - this complexity can boggle the mind!!
At the southern end of the "loop", as it is called (and the project to "fix" it called "unlooping the loop"), the I-35W freeway suddenly splits from the normal one-set of northbound lanes and one-set of southbound lanes to two of each - resulting in two side-by-side complete freeways!
What happens is that for northbound traffic, one set (the right one) is marked as being the continuation of I-35W North and I-94 East, while the other set (the left one) is for I-94 West and highway 65 into downtown Minneapolis.
If one is utilizing the left freeway, the I-94 westbound transition is as typical a freeway "fly-over" ramp as you'd find anywhere else. Highway 65 quickly turns into city streets.
The other freeway, however, continues by making a 90-degree turn to the right, and is now on the middle of another parallel freeway system, with the I-94 thru-lanes on the outside, while the I-35W thru-lanes are in the inside.
As if that wasn't enough, there are further exit lanes and merging traffic from both Hiawatha Avenue and Washington Street downtown at the east end of "the loop".
Drivers in Minnesota, however, can rest assured that everything in the state is well marked. It has to be - this complexity can boggle the mind!!
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 44°57'43"N 93°15'47"W
- Fort Snelling State Park 7.2 km
- Path of North Minneapolis Tornado of May 2011 9 km
- Ramsey County 18 km
- Lake Minnetonka 35 km
- Swedes Bay 88 km
- Czechville, Wisconsin 145 km
- Decorah Impact Structure 215 km
- Highland Wind Farm 280 km
- Bishop Hill I Wind Farm 475 km
- Bishop Hill II Wind Farm 480 km
- Ventura Village Neighborhood 0.4 km
- Washburn - Fair Oaks Mansion District 0.9 km
- Phillips West Neighborhood 0.9 km
- Midtown Phillips Neighborhood 1 km
- Stevens Square/Loring Heights Neighborhood 1.3 km
- Whittier Neighborhood 1.4 km
- Loring Park Neighborhood 1.5 km
- East Phillips Neighborhood 1.6 km
- Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood 2.1 km
- Southeast Minneapolis 2.5 km