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{{cleanupint}}
{{Routeboxint |
route_type    = reg |
article_route = 494 |
type          = Auxiliary |
year_established =  ([[1985]])|
length_mi     = 43 |
length_km     = 69 |
direction_a   = West|
direction_b   = East|
terminus_a    = [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] [[Image:Interstate 694.svg|25px]] [[I-94]]/[[I-694]] in [[Maple Grove, MN]] |
terminus_b    =  [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] [[Image:Interstate 694.svg|25px]] [[I-94]]/[[I-694]] in [[Woodbury, MN]]|
junction      = [[Image:I-35E.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 35E (Minnesota)|I-35E]] in [[Mendota Heights, MN]]<br>
[[Image:I-35W.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 35W (Minnesota)|I-35W]] in [[Bloomington, MN]]<br>
[[Image:Interstate 394.svg|25px]] [[I-394]] in [[Minnetonka, MN]] }}

Interstate 494 (abbreviated I-494 or simply 494) is part of a beltway of Interstate 94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The 43- mile (69 km) road is coupled with Interstate 694 (which goes to the north) at each end, and composes more than half of the major beltway of the region. This is apparently the only interstate highway loop in the United States that has separately-numbered sections (the Twin Cities region also has an east/west-split in Interstate 35, similar to the Dallas/Fort-Worth area). I-494 and I-694 also act as loop routes for Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W.

The highway has a few intersections with other interstates:

• Interstate 94 and I-694 in Woodbury/ Oakdale
• Interstate 35E in Mendota Heights, Minnesota
• Interstate 35W in Bloomington, Minnesota
• Interstate 394 in Minnetonka, Minnesota
• Interstate 94/I-694 (twinned) in Maple Grove, Minnesota

Exit numbering is unusual in that it begins at the Minnesota River heading westbound (between Bloomington and Mendota Heights), and continues clockwise around the entire beltway. The last exit is #71 to Pilot Knob Road. The most significant landmark on the length of I-494 is the Mall of America, just south of the intersection of I-494 and Minnesota State Highway 77.

For the most part, the speed limit is 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). Interstate highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph (110 km/h). Within the loop, most highways are signed at speeds of 55 mph (90 km/h) or lower, though a few exceptions were added in September 2005, allowing speeds of up to 60 mph in some places. Those roads had been signed at 60 mph or higher up until the gasoline crises of the 1970s.

Construction on the road first began in the late 1950s, and it was finally completed by about 1985. Upgrades continue to be made to widen the road to at least three lanes in each direction, including construction of the Wakota Bridge (named because it connects Washington County and Dakota County) over the Mississippi River. Also a major reconstruction/widening project is underway between Minnesota State Highway 5 West/ U.S. Highway 212 East (Exits 11B and C) and Carlson Parkway (Exit 20).

See also

• 494 Commuter Services

External link

• Mn/DOT: I-494 Reconstruction

References

• Adam Froehlig (November 22, 2003). Interstate Highway 494. Minnesota State Highway Endings. Accessed May 17, 2005.
• Steve Riner (December 27, 2004). Details of Routes 288-694. Accessed May 17, 2005.
• Interstate 494 Minnesota. Interstate-Guide.com. Accessed May 17, 2005.

[[Category:Interstate Highways in Minnesota|94-4]] [[Category:Three-digit Interstate Highways|94-4]] {{3di|94}}

Exit table

Minnesota
№	Mile	Exit eastbound	Exit westbound	City	Interchange type	Notes
58A		BEGIN South (END )	I-94 West Saint Paul	Oakdale	cloverleaf
58B			I-94 East Madison
58C		Tamarack Rd		Woodbury	folded diamond	no exit number indicated on MnDOT official map 2004; 58C a guess
59		Valley Creek Rd			diamond
60		Century Ave			folded diamond
63A		US 10 West US 61 North Saint Paul		Newport	cloverleaf (?)
63B		US 10 East US 61 South Hastings
63C			4th Ave		half diamond
Mississippi River ( Wakota Bridge)
64A		Hardman Ave		South Saint Paul	folded diamond
64B		MN 156/Concord Blvd			folded diamond
64C		4th Ave/7th Ave			diamond w/frontage road
65			7th Ave/4th Ave
66		US 52/Lafayette Frwy		Inver Grove Heights	cloverleaf with collector-distributor lane
67		MN 110/ MN 3 Mendota Rd/Robert St			directional Y leading to folded diamond with
			MN 3 TO MN 110 Robert St		half diamond
69		MN 149 TO MN 55 Dodd Rd		Eagan	folded diamond
70		I-35E Saint Paul Albert Lea			cloverstack, flyover from WB to SB
70A			I-35E North Saint Paul
70B			I-35E South Albert Lea
71		County Rd. 31/Pilot Knob Rd.			folded diamond
Minnesota River
1		MN 5 East 34th Ave S MSP Airport Terminals		Bloomington	semi-directional Y integrated with diamond at 34th Ave	Use for Lindbergh (Main) Terminal; 34th for Humphrey Terminal
1			MN 5 East MSP Airport Lindbergh Terminal Saint Paul
2A			34th Ave S MSP Airport Humphrey Terminal
2B		24th Ave S			SPUI	Use exits 2B or 2C for Mall of America
2C		MN 77 Cedar Ave			cloverstack
3		12th Ave S/Portland Ave S			diamond w/frontage road
			Portland Ave S/12th Ave S
4B		Nicollet Ave S			diamond
5A		I-35W North Minneapolis			cloverleaf
5B		I-35W South Albert Lea
6A		Penn Ave S			diamond
6B		County Rd. 17/France Ave S			diamond?
7A		MN 100 North			cloverleaf
7B		County Rd. 34/Normandale Blvd
8		East Bush Lake Rd			half diamond
10		US 169			parclo or cloverleaf w/ c-d lanes?
11A		Prairie Center Dr US 212 West Flying Cloud Dr		Eden Prairie	two half diamonds
11B		US 212 East	US 212		cloverleaf
11C		MN 5 West				TO (Future )
12			County Rd. 39/Valley View Rd		half diamond
13		MN 62/County Rd. 62			diamond
16A		MN 7 East		Minnetonka	cloverleaf?
16B		MN 7 West
17		Minnetonka Blvd			folded diamond	SB ramps to/from McGinty Rd
19A		I-394/ US 12 East Minneapolis			cloverleaf
19B		US 12 West Wayzata
?		Carlson Parkway		Plymouth	diamond	According to [1] and [2], these exits are unnumbered.
?		County Rd. 6			diamond
22		MN 55			diamond
23		County Rd. 9/Rockford Rd			diamond
26		County Rd. 10/Bass Lake Rd			diamond
27		I-94 West Saint Cloud	BEGIN South (END )	Maple Grove	Directional Y	"Fish Lake Interchange"
		END BEGIN East