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Minnesota State Highway 23

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(Redirected from MN 23) State highway in Minnesota, United States

Trunk Highway 23 markerTrunk Highway 23
MN 23 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MnDOT
Length343.723 mi (553.169 km)
Existed1920–present
Major junctions
West end I-90 near Beaver Creek
Major intersections
East end I-35 / US 2 at Duluth
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountiesRock, Pipestone, Lincoln, Lyon, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa, Renville, Kandiyohi, Stearns, Benton, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Pine, Carlton, Douglas (WI), St. Louis
Highway system
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
← MN 22→ MN 24

Minnesota State Highway 23 (MN 23) is a state highway that stretches from southwestern to northeastern Minnesota. At 343.723 miles (553.169 km) in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1.

This route, signed east–west, runs roughly diagonally across Minnesota from southwest to northeast. It indirectly connects Duluth to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and passes through the cities of St. Cloud, Willmar, and Marshall.

MN 23 runs north from its interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90), 1.05 miles (1.69 km) east of the South Dakota line and 13 miles (21 km) east of Sioux Falls and then continues north and east across Minnesota to its terminus at its interchange with I-35 in Duluth.

Route description

MN 23 directly serves Pipestone, Marshall, Granite Falls, Willmar, Paynesville, Cold Spring, St. Cloud, Foley, Milaca, Mora, Hinckley, Sandstone, and Duluth.

Portions of MN 23 that have been upgraded to a four-lane expressway include approximately nine miles (14 km) in the Marshall area in addition to longer stretches between Willmar and New London, and between Richmond and Waite Park (St. Cloud). For a majority of the Willmar area, MN 23 runs concurrently with U.S. Highway 71 (US 71), which includes a freeway bypass of the city. MN 23 crosses the Minnesota River at Granite Falls, and the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, over the Granite City Crossing bridge.

Running over surface streets in certain towns, MN 23 is also known as:

  • Division Street in St. Cloud
  • 4th Street in downtown Milaca
  • Forest Avenue East in Mora, between MN 65 and Oslin Road
  • Grand Avenue in Duluth; the section of Grand Avenue that is marked MN 23 is from 59th Avenue West and I-35 (in West Duluth) to Idaho Street (in the Morgan Park neighborhood)
  • Commonwealth Avenue in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood of the city of Duluth
  • Evergreen Memorial Highway in the Fond du Lac neighborhood of the city of Duluth

Parks and monuments

The highway serves:

Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive

About 50 miles (80 km) of MN 23 that travels through Pine, Carlton, and Saint Louis counties is officially designated the Veterans Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive. This portion is between I-35 near Askov and the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood of Duluth, near MN 39. The scenic roadway offers views of Banning State Park, the Saint Louis River valley, and nearby Jay Cooke State Park.

The 2005 Minnesota Legislature officially designated the MN 23 Bridge over the Saint Louis River at Duluth (Fond du Lac neighborhood) as the Biauswah Bridge. On June 28, 2008, this bridge was dedicated as such in honor of American Indian veterans.

Segment in Wisconsin

MN 23 has the rare distinction of being a state highway that passes through another state. At 133rd Avenue West, along the southern edge of Duluth, MN 23 crosses the Saint Louis River into Douglas County, Wisconsin, in the Town of Superior, for one-half mile (800 m) before re-entering Minnesota. On some maps, this section is designated "WISC-23", despite there being another Highway 23 in southern Wisconsin. There is no signage, however, along the highway that indicates the brief route across state lines. Nearby is the junction between MN 23 and MN 210 and Jay Cooke State Park.

Transit

Intercity bus service along the MN 23 corridor is provided along the southwestern portion of the highway between Willmar and Pipestone by Jefferson Lines.

History

MN 23 was authorized November 2, 1920, from Paynesville to Mission Creek, south of Hinckley. By 1933, the highway was paved between Roscoe and Cold Spring and from St. Cloud to Mission Creek. It was extended west to Benson and east to Duluth in 1934. Various sections of the highway were paved from the 1930s through the 1950s; the entire length was paved by 1961.

The section of present-day MN 23 from its southern terminus to Marshall was originally designated MN 39 until 1940. The section between Marshall and Willmar was originally designated MN 17 until 1940. The MN 23 designation originally extended west from New London to Benson along the modern MN 9; which was also MN 17 from around 1940 to the 1960s. MN 23 originally ran through Sandstone proper to just west of Askov along the route that later became MN 123; this was redesignated c. 1946.

From 1934 to 1963, the northern terminus for MN 23 was its junction with old US  61 and US 2 in West Duluth. From 1963 to 1997, MN 23 continued farther into Duluth proper as a business route using several local arteries including Michigan Street, West 1st Street, East 2nd Street, East 3rd Street, and East Superior Street. The former northern terminus for MN 23 during this time period was at the intersection of US 61 (now MN 61) and 60th Avenue East in Duluth. In 1997, the official northern terminus changed to its junction with I-35 at Grand Avenue in Duluth.

After completion of the I-35 freeway, the state maintained MN 23 through Hinckley and Sandstone; now MN 23 runs concurrently with I-35 from Hinckley to Sandstone.

The four-lane US 71 / MN 23 bypass of Willmar was proposed in the 1960s. However a financial crisis in the early 1980s led to the northbound lanes being unpaved, and the bypass had been scaled down to a two-lane facility by the time it opened in 1985. Construction in 2001 completed the bypass to its original four-lane design.

The MN 23 expressway from Spicer to New London, and the expressway from Richmond to Waite Park (St. Cloud), were both completed by 2005.

In February 2008, a bus crash occurred on MN 23 near Cottonwood when a school bus carrying 28 students from Lakeview Public Schools was struck by a driver who ran through a stop sign which caused the bus to fall onto a pickup killing four students and injuring 17 others.

The DeSoto Bridge across the Mississippi River in St. Cloud was closed on March 20, 2008, after bent gusset plates were found in an inspection; similar to gusset plates that caused the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis to collapse on August 1, 2007. The DeSoto Bridge was demolished in October 2008, and a new replacement bridge, the Granite City Crossing, was completed on October 29, 2009.

The Paynesville Bypass project began on April 26, 2010. The project consists of constructing a four-lane bypass around Paynesville, running from County Road 6 (CR 6) in Kandiyohi County to CR 123 in Stearns County. The project was completed in July 2012. The length of the new bypass is 7.7 miles (12.4 km). The project includes grading, construction of eight bridges, surfacing and lighting, and it cost $32.2 million (equivalent to $45.3 million in 2023).

Another project expanded MN 23 to four lanes from St. Cloud eastward to Foley, which began July 1, 2011, and finished sometime in late 2012. This project expanded an eight-mile (13 km) segment of the highway. While this section is technically part of the St. Cloud-to-I-35 portion of the corridor (and thus has less overall priority), the increase in traffic along this particular stretch led to a decision to expand the highway, as there have been major safety and mobility issues the last couple decades due to growth in the St. Cloud area.

Future

MnDOT has designated MN 23 as a medium-priority Interregional Corridor along the majority of its length. As such, there are long-range plans to expand significant portions of the highway from two to four lanes. This resulted in the creation of the Highway 23 Coalition, and its ultimate vision for MN 23 is a four-lane expressway running from its interchange with I-90 in the southwest corner of Minnesota northeastward to its interchange with I-35 near Hinckley, although severe funding shortages are currently limiting expansion to certain segments.

Currently, the section of highway that has the highest overall priority for expansion is the corridor between Willmar and St. Cloud. This is due in part to the corridor carrying a heavy volume of traffic (higher than what a standard two-lane highway is designed to safely carry), plus a subsequently higher-than-average accident rate. In addition, southwest Minnesota lacks four-lane access to both the Twin Cities (Minneapolis–Saint Paul) and the Interstate Highway System, and a MN 23 expressway from Willmar (which is the largest municipality in southwest Minnesota) to St. Cloud would greatly alleviate both these issues.

The "Gaps" project is a multi-stage project to widen MN 23 to four lanes in the two remaining two-lane sections between Willmar and St. Cloud. The nine-mile (14 km) North Gap started expansion in May 2022, and is expected to complete in November 2023. The 7-mile (11 km) South Gap is planned to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2024.

Major intersections

StateCountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
MinnesotaRockBeaver Creek Township1.2972.087 I-90 – Luverne, Sioux Falls
CSAH 17		Southern terminus; exit 1 on I-90; road continues south as CSAH 17
PipestoneJasper18.68630.072
MN 269 west (Wall Street) – State Line		Eastern terminus of MN 269
Pipestone29.70747.809
MN 30 west – Madison, SD		Western end of MN 30 concurrency
29.93348.172

US 75 south / MN 30 east – Luverne, Slayton		Eastern end of MN 30 concurrency; western end of US 75 concurrency
30.55049.165
US 75 north – Lake Benton		Eastern end of US 75 concurrency
LyonShelburne Township52.54984.569 US 14 – Tyler, BalatonInterchange via connector road
Coon Creek Township59.41395.616
MN 91 south – Lake Wilson
Marshall73.679118.575 US 59 – Slayton, MarshallAccess to Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center
75.057120.793 MN 19 / MN 68 – Redwood Falls, Marshall
Yellow MedicineMinnesota Falls Township100.984162.518
MN 67 east – Wood Lake, Echo		Western end of MN 67 concurrency; formerly MN 274
Granite Falls103.151166.005
MN 167 east – Upper Sioux Agency State Park
103.364166.348

US 212 west / MN 67 west / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway		Western end of US 212 concurrency; eastern end of MN 67 concurrency
Minnesota River103.424–
103.500		166.445–
166.567		US 212 Bridge
ChippewaGranite Falls Township111.569179.553
US 212 east / Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway – Olivia		Eastern end of US 212 concurrency
Stoneham Township125.066201.274 MN 7 – Cosmos, Montevideo
KandiyohiWillmar Township141.483227.695— CSAH 15 / CSAH 5Western end of super two
Willmar144.515232.574—


US 71 Bus. north (1st Street) / US 71 south – Willmar, Olivia		Western end of US 71 concurrency; eastern end of super two, western end of freeway; 1st St. and US 71 south are signed as separate exits westbound
141.501227.724— CSAH 23 (Willmar Avenue)
142.666–
142.677		229.599–
229.616		— US 12 – Willmar, Litchfield
143.900–
143.960		231.585–
231.681		—Civic Center Drive
144.948233.271— Business 71 south – County MuseumEastern end of freeway; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; former MN 294; serves Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital
Dovre Township145.353233.923


US 71 north / MN 23 east / CSAH 90 east (Glacial Ridge Trail)		U-turn for southbound traffic; northbound access to Glacial Ridge Tr. west via Michigan left
145.607234.332




US 71 south / MN 23 west to US 71 Bus. south		U-turn for northbound traffic
152.420245.296
US 71 north – Sauk Centre		Interchange; eastern end of US 71 concurrency; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Green Lake Township153.253246.637 CSAH 9Interchange
New London160.927258.987
MN 9 west – New London		Future interchange; currently an intersection; eastern terminus of MN 9
StearnsPaynesville167.909–
168.077		270.223–
270.494		Veterans DriveInterchange
168.453–
168.841		271.099–
271.723		 MN 4 / MN 55 – Belgrade, PaynesvilleInterchange
Paynesville Township CR 85 / Business 23Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Richmond186.069299.449
MN 22 south – Eden Valley		Northern terminus of MN 22
St. Joseph Township199.420320.935 I-94 (US 52) – Alexandria, Minneapolis, St. PaulExits 164A-B on I-94
St. Cloud204.150328.548

MN 15 south (Alternate route to I-94 east) / CSAH 75 east (2nd Street South east)		Southern end of MN 15/CSAH 75 concurrency
204.401328.952

MN 15 north (Alternate route to I-94 east) / CSAH 75 west (Division Street west)		Northern end of MN 15/CSAH 75 concurrency; former US 52 west
206.480332.297 10th AvenueRIRO interchange; westbound exit and entrance; serves St. Cloud Hospital
206.638332.5529th AvenueRIRO interchange; eastbound exit and entrance
Mississippi River207.000–
207.168		333.134–
333.405		Granite City Crossing
Benton207.860334.518 US 10 – Little Falls, St. PaulParclo interchange
Minden Township212.403341.829
MN 95 east – Princeton		Western terminus of MN 95
Gilmanton Township220.925355.544 MN 25 – Pierz
Mille LacsMilaca236.357–
236.374		380.380–
380.407		 US 169 – Princeton, OnamiaInterchange
KanabecOgilvie247.418398.181
MN 47 north – Isle		Western end of MN 47 concurrency
248.481399.891
MN 47 south – Anoka		Eastern end of MN 47 concurrency
Mora254.577409.702
MN 65 south – Cambridge		Western end of MN 65 concurrency
256.180412.282
MN 65 north – McGregor		Eastern end of MN 65 concurrency
PineBrook Park Township266.615429.075 MN 107 – BrahamNorthern terminus of MN 107
Mission Creek Township273.500440.156
CSAH 61 north (St. Croix Scenic Byway north) – Hinckley		Western end of CSAH 61/St. Croix Scenic Byway concurrency
273.737440.537

I-35 south (34th Infantry Division Highway south) / CSAH 61 south (St. Croix Scenic Byway south) – St. Paul, Minneapolis		Eastern end of CSAH 61/St. Croix Scenic Byway concurrency; western end of I-35 concurrency; interchange; exit 180 on I-35
Hinckley272.459438.480183

MN 48 east (Fire Monument Road) to CSAH 61 – Hinckley		Exit number follows I-35; western terminus of MN 48; access to CSAH 61 via CSAH 61 Spur (Fire Monument Road west)
Sandstone285.237459.044
I-35 north (34th Infantry Division Highway north) / CSAH 61 / Old US 61 (St. Croix Scenic Byway south) – Duluth		Eastern end of I-35 concurrency; western end of St. Croix Scenic Byway concurrency; exit 191 on I-35
285.641459.695
MN 123 east – Business District		Western terminus of MN 123
Finlayson Township289.708466.240
MN 18 west – Rutledge, Finlayson		Eastern terminus of MN 18
290.190467.016St. Croix Scenic Byway ends
I-35 – Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis		Exit 195 on I-35; interchange; eastern terminus of St. Croix Scenic Byway; western terminus of Veterans Memorial Evergreen Scenic Byway
293.017471.565
MN 123 west – Sandstone		Western terminus of MN 123
 335.25539.53Minnesota–Wisconsin line
Wisconsin Douglas
 No major junctions
St. Louis River335.665–
335.793		540.200–
540.406		Biauswah Bridge; Wisconsin–Minnesota line
MinnesotaSt. LouisDuluth335.948540.656
MN 210 west – Jay Cooke State Park, Carlton		Eastern terminus of MN 210
338.725545.125
MN 39 east (McCuen Street) – Superior WI		Western terminus of MN 39
345.020555.256
I-35 north (US 2 east)		Northern terminus; exit 251B on I-35


Grand Avenue northeast to I-35 south (US 2 west)		Continuation beyond I-35 (US 2)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ^ "Trunk Highway Log Point Listing" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Transportation. September 6, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  2. "Chapter 6-H.F.No. 140". Minnesota Session Laws - 2005, 1st Special Session. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. July 14, 2005. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  3. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (January 2021). Douglas Co. (PDF) (Map). 1:100,000. Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  4. "Minnesota Map" (PDF). Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  5. Minnesota State Legislature (2010). "§ 161.114, Constitutional Trunk Highways". Minnesota Statutes. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  6. Minnesota Highway Department; McGill-Warner (1933). Map of Trunk Highway System, State of Minnesota (Map). 1:760,320. St. Paul: Minnesota Highway Department. §§ G16–M14. OCLC 5673160, 80405240. Retrieved March 5, 2019 – via Minnesota Digital Library. (Showing road conditions as of April 1, 1933)
  7. Minnesota Highway Department; McGill-Warner (1934). Map of Trunk Highway System, State of Minnesota (Map). 1:760,320. St. Paul: Minnesota Highway Department. §§ E16–O11. OCLC 5673160, 80405240. Retrieved March 5, 2019 – via Minnesota Digital Library. (Showing road conditions as of May 1, 1934)
  8. "1941 Roads Map is Now Available". Minneapolis Star Journal. May 5, 1941. p. 16. Retrieved December 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Korsgaard, Kay. "Willmar bypass opens". MnDOT Newsline. Minnesota Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  10. District 8 (November 19, 2001). "Willmar Bypass Opens with Silver Ribbon Cutting" (Press release). Minnesota Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 4, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2007.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. Melo, Fredrick (August 6, 2008). "Franco found guilty in Cottonwood bus crash that killed four, injured 17". Pioneer Press. St. Paul. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  12. "Highway 23 Paynesville Bypass". Coldspring USA. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  13. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  14. District 8 (April 26, 2010). "Highway 23 Paynesville Bypass project". Minnesota Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. Lindrud, Shelby (October 29, 2021). "A vision of four lanes from one corner of the state to the other". West Central Tribune. Willmar, Minnesota. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  16. "Main detour begins May 16 for Minnesota Highway 23 North Gap project from Paynesville to Richmond". West Central Tribune. Willmar, Minnesota. May 11, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  17. "Highway 23 Gaps Groundbreaking Celebration". Highway 23 Coalition. April 15, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.

External links

KML file (edit • help) Template:Attached KML/Minnesota State Highway 23KML is from Wikidata
  • MN 23 at The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page
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