The speed limit on I-494 is 60 miles per hour. Interstate highways outside of the loop in Minnesota may be signed as high as 70 mph. Most highways inside the loop are signed at speeds of 55 mph or lower, though a few exceptions were added in September 2005, allowing speeds of up to in some places. Those roads had been signed at or higher up until the gasoline crisis of the 1970s.
Route description
Exit numbering of Interstate 494 is unusual in that it begins at the Minnesota River heading westbound, and continues clockwise around the entire beltway, continuing clockwise onto Interstate 694. The last exit east of the Minnesota River is #71 to Pilot Knob Road. The first exit west of the river is #1A, which grants access to eastbound State Highway 5 and airport terminal 1. The most significant landmark on the length of I-494 is Mall of America, just south of the intersection of I-494 and State Highway 77. Legally, the route of Interstate 494 is defined as part of unmarked legislative route 393 in Minnesota Statutes § 161.12. Interstate 494 is not marked with this legislative number along the actual highway.
History
Construction on Interstate 494 first began in the late 1950s, and it was finally completed in 1985. With the most recent upgrade completed in November 2016 in Plymouth, Interstate 494 is now at least three lanes in each direction for its entire route. A major reconstruction / widening project of I-494 was completed in fall 2006 between U.S. Highway 212 / State Highway 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 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 the summer of 2010. The bridge is named so because it connects Washington County and Dakota County. Near the end of this effort, Interstate 494 was widened from two to three lanes in each direction between Lake Road and I-94 in Woodbury.
Traffic
Since its opening, I-494 has been subjected to numerous traffic problems, both eastbound and westbound. Vehicles usually start to slow down at the U.S. Highway 169 interchange in Bloomington, and continues to slow at the interchange with State Highway 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 on the study is on Bloomington's website. The plan is scoped between US-169 to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The road sees over 500,000 passengers per day, with it being congested for more than 30% of the day. So far, MnDOT has determined to add MnPASS lanes eastbound from France Avenue to State Highway 77, and westbound from MN-77 to I-35W. They have also determined to construct a directional ramp for Northbound I-35W from westbound I-494. Another plan is changing the current cloverleaf interchange between I-494 and I-35W into a turbine interchange. Problems have been addressed throughout the entire corridor, with all the highways being included. Construction begun in 2019, and is still currently underway.
494 Corridor Commission
The 494 Corridor Commission, also known as 494 Commuter Services, is a non-profit organization aimed at reducing traffic congestion along the southwest section of the Interstate 494 corridor. In 1988, the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, and Richfield joined together to address traffic congestion and work towards improving I-494. The organization's mission 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, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, and the private business community.
