US 52 South Metro (outside the Beltway)

South Metro (outside the Beltway)

This page covers US 52 from I-494 in Inver Grove Heights to MN 19 in Cannon Falls. This includes a roughly 4.3 mile duplex with MN 55. Total length of this section is approximately 27.3 miles.

Description

US 52 is the primary highway connection between the Twin Cities area and Rochester, connecting the latter with St. Paul directly and with Minneapolis via MN 55. Most of US 52 was 4-laned in the 1960s, but with only a small handful of interchanges built, and this 4-laning stopped short of the Twin Cities freeway network for years. It wasn't until completion of the Lafayette Freeway in 1994 that Rochester had a direct 4-lane connection to the Twin Cities. Since then, development in the Twin Cities area, Rochester, and in between has placed increased pressures on US 52 and its function.

Roadway Configuration

4 lane freeway from I-494 to Concord Blvd/CSAH 56
4 lane at-grade expressway with occasional interchanges south of Concord Blvd

Average Daily Traffic Counts

Location	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006	10-yr '96-'06 Change
S of I-494	42,000	47,500	54,000	56,000	57,000	61,000	+45%
S of Upper 55th St	36,000	42,000	46,000	50,000	50,000	54,000	+50%
S of CSAH 26/70th St	26,000	31,000	35,000	41,000	40,000	44,000	+69%
S of 80th St	16,000	21,400	24,000	29,000	28,000	32,500	+103%
S of MN 55 WEST	31,000	37,000	41,000	48,000	49,500	49,000	+58%
S of CSAH 56/Concord Blvd	31,000	35,500	38,000	40,000	39,500	43,000	+39%
S of MN 55 EAST	23,500	25,600	29,000	31,000	30,400	35,500	+51%
S of CSAH 42	23,500	24,900	26,500	30,000	30,200	30,500	+30%
S of Old CSAH 48/Coates	18,200	21,500	23,000	25,500	26,400	30,500	+68%
S of CSAH 46	18,200	21,500	23,000	25,500	26,400	27,500	+51%
S of CSAH 47	19,100	21,600	25,000	26,000	25,000	30,000	+57%
S of MN 50/MN 56	15,500	17,000	20,500	20,500	20,000	19,100	+23%
S of CSAH 86	15,000	16,200	18,500	19,000	19,300	18,700	+25%

Click HERE for the Exit List

Speed Limit

55 MPH near I-494, otherwise 65 MPH

Future Plans

MnDOT completed a corridor study in the early 2000s, recommending upgrading US 52 between I-494 and Rochester to a full freeway. Since then, interchanges have been completed at 117th St in Inver Grove Heights and at CSAH 46 near Coates, and an overpass has been built at CSAH 47 near Hampton.
Frontage road construction and related access management between Concord Blvd and 117th St in Inver Grove Heights is slated for 2008.
Further refinement of an interchange concept at CSAH 42, which would include removal of the existing MN 55 EAST interchange and complete the freeway upgrade between 117th St and CSAH 46, has been completed. This project is currently scheduled for the 2015-2023 timeframe.

Froggie Suggests:

Expedite the upgrade of US 52 to freeway, with an upgraded interchange at CSAH 42 and additional interchanges at CSAH 66, CSAH 47, and CSAH 86.

Links

Last updated 12 May, 2008