Interstate 35

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Interstate 35 marker

Interstate 35

Map
Route information
Length1,569.06 mi[1] (2,525.16 km)
Existed1956–present
HistoryCompleted in 1982[2]
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
South end US 83 in Laredo, TX
Major intersections
North end MN 61 in Duluth, MN
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesTexas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota
Highway system

Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major

Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota State Highway 61 (MN 61, London Road) and 26th Avenue East.[3] The highway splits into I-35E and I-35W in two separate places, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas and at the Minnesota twin cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul
.

At 1,568 miles (2,523 km), I-35 is the ninth-longest Interstate Highway following

U.S. Route 53
(US 53) in Duluth.

In addition to the Dallas–Fort Worth and Minneapolis–Saint Paul areas, the major cities that I-35 also connects to include (from south to north)

.

Route description

Lengths
  mi
km
TX 503.96 811.05
OK 235.96 379.74
KS 235.53 379.05
MO 114.74 184.66
IA 219.23 352.82
MN 259.64 417.85
Total 1,569.06 2,525.16

Texas

traffic signal
in Laredo, Texas

I-35 northbound begins at a traffic-signaled intersection with

Bus. I-35-A in Laredo, Texas, just north of the Rio Grande and the international border between Mexico and the US. It has a 17-mile (27 km) concurrency with US 83. Through Webb, La Salle, and Frio counties, it has a mostly north-northeastern course, turning more northeasterly around Moore.[4] It then cuts across the corners of Medina and Atascosa counties before entering Bexar County and San Antonio
.

I-35 is named the Pan Am Expressway in San Antonio. There, it has brief concurrencies with I-10 (with it US 87) and I-410, and it serves as the northern terminus of I-37. I-35 heads northeast out of the city toward the state capital, Austin.

In Austin, I-35 is the Interregional Highway and has a concurrency with

freeway. Prior to this expansion, this section included an at-grade railroad crossing, which is extremely unusual for a freeway. From Austin, I-35 goes through Round Rock, Temple, Pflugerville, and Waco. In Belton, south of Temple, it serves as the current eastern terminus for I-14. In Waco, I-35 is known as the Jack Kultgen Freeway, and begins its concurrency with US 77. The campuses of both the University of Texas at Austin and Baylor University
are located adjacent to I-35.

I-35 then heads to

Fort Worth area. The official milemarkers, along with the route of US 77, follow I-35E through Dallas—I-35W, which is 85 miles (137 km) in length, carries its own mileage from Hillsboro to Denton, as though it were an I-35 loop. In Dallas, I-35E is the R.L. Thornton Freeway south of I-30
, which picks up the name heading east. North of I-30, it is the Stemmons Freeway.

After passing through Dallas and Fort Worth, I-35's two forks rejoin each other in Denton near the University of North Texas campus. The unified Interstate then continues north to Gainesville before crossing the Red River into Oklahoma.

Oklahoma

I-35 in Goldsby, Oklahoma, at milemarker 102

In Oklahoma, I-35 runs from the Red River at the Texas border to the Kansas state line near Braman. It passes through or adjacent to many of the state's major cities. From south to north, these cities include Ardmore, Pauls Valley, Purcell, Norman, Moore, Oklahoma City, and Edmond. In Downtown Oklahoma City, I-35 has a major junction with I-40 and spurs into I-235 through the north central inner city as heavy traffic follows through the city into the northern area of the state.

Kansas

A view from the I-35 portion of the Kansas Turnpike, between mileposts 29 and 30

Between the Oklahoma state line and

Kansas City Metropolitan Area, where it serves Johnson County and Kansas City, Kansas
.

Of note on the route, at several points between Cassoday and Emporia in the Flint Hills, dirt driveways that provide direct access without a ramp, for cattle trucks, may be found in either direction along the highway.

BETO Junction is a highway intersection in Coffey County, Kansas, that is the intersection of US 75 and I-35. It derives its name from the four major cities nearest the intersection: Burlington, Emporia, Topeka, and Ottawa. It is located 16 miles (26 km) north of Burlington at exit 155. Historically, the intersection referred to as "BETO Junction" before I-35 was constructed was located on the old US 75 alignments two miles (3.2 km) south and two miles (3.2 km) east, near Waverly, Kansas.

Missouri

Bond Bridge
carries I-35 in Kansas City

I-35 enters Missouri two miles (3.2 km) southwest of Kansas City's

Bond Bridge
.

After crossing the river, I-29 and I-35 split. I-35 heads north to Cameron, Missouri, and then continues northward to the Iowa state line.

Iowa

Swaledale
is about one mile (1.6 km) to the east.

In the southern sections of the state, I-35 is parallel to

US 69
for much of its course.

In

I-80. The concurrency takes place northwest of the downtown district of the city. At exit 127 of I-80, the overlap turns east and terminates at exit 137 via an interchange with I-235
.

North of Des Moines, I-35 is mainly parallel with US 69, traversing a vast and rural area of Iowa.[6]

I-35 is part of the Avenue of the Saints between Clear Lake and St. Paul, Minnesota. A four-lane link has been completed between Clear Lake and I-380 in Waterloo, Iowa.

Minnesota

I-35's northern terminus is at this intersection with London Road (MN 61) in Duluth, Minnesota, with Lake Superior in the background.

At Medford, Minnesota, the on- and offramps lead to roundabouts rather than standard cross intersections.[7] This is the first site in the state linked to a major highway to use roundabouts.

I-35 splits again into I-35W and I-35E in the MinneapolisSaint Paul area. The mile- and exit-numbering sequence continues along I-35E. At one sharp turn in I-35W near the junction with I-94, drivers are advised to slow to 35 mph (56 km/h) (although many drivers are able to maintain the speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h)). It is not possible to go from westbound I-94 to northbound I-35W, from southbound I-35W to eastbound I-94, and vice versa, without resorting to surface streets.

On I-35E in Minnesota between

I-694
to the east of Saint Paul.

I-35 has an

junction features a pair of left exits from I-35, a stoplight, and lane drops over the I-35 bridge.[8]

The national northern terminus of I-35 is at an intersection in eastern Duluth. Drivers' options include merging with London Road/MN 61 northbound, proceeding through the stop lights onto 26th Avenue East, or turning left onto London Road southbound.

History

Some portions of I-35 in Oklahoma City were already built in 1953, before the Interstate system was created.[9] Through Norman, Oklahoma, the Interstate opened in June 1959. In Moore, it opened in two parts: the northern half, connecting Moore to Oklahoma City, opened in January 1960. The southern half, linking it to Norman, was opened to traffic in June 1967.[10]

I-35 through Oklahoma largely parallels US 77. This is in large part due to efforts of the towns of Wynnewood, Paoli, and Wayne, which fought to keep I-35 as close as possible to US 77. This was successful due to a threat from Governor Henry Bellmon to build a toll road rather than I-35, and legislation preventing state funds for the Interstate from being spent if it were more than one mile (1.6 km) from the U.S. Route.[11]

I-35 was completed in Oklahoma in 1971, when parts of the Interstate running through Carter Co. and Murray Co. were opened to traffic.[9]

The final segment of I-35 (as originally planned) to open was in north-central

US 65 through northern Iowa, which brought the highway much closer to Mason City. This created a long diagonal section through Wright and Franklin
counties. Local farmers objected to their farms being bisected into triangular pieces, and resulting litigation delayed I-35 for several years. A November 1972 ruling rejected a lawsuit filed by the farmers, and the final segment of I-35 was allowed to proceed, eventually opening in 1975.

The

"NAFTA Superhighway" controversy

I-29 and I-35

The proposed Trans-Texas Corridor toll-road project included one proposal (TTC-35) to primarily parallel I-35 from the Mexican border up to the Oklahoma border.[13] There are major disagreements as to what impact this parallel route would have on I-35 in terms of traffic, maintenance, and commerce.

The Trans-Texas Corridor was first proposed by

Governor Rick Perry in 2002. It consisted of a 1,200-foot (370 m) wide highway that also carried utilities such as electricity, petroleum, and water as well as railway track and fiberoptic cables.[14] In July 2007, US Representative Duncan Hunter successfully offered an amendment to House Resolution 3074, the FY2008 Transportation Appropriations Act, prohibiting the use of federal funds for Department of Transportation participation in the activities of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). Hunter stated that: "Unfortunately, very little is known about the NAFTA Super Highway. This amendment will provide Congress the opportunity to exercise oversight of the highway, which remains a subject of question and uncertainty, and ensure that our safety and security will not be compromised in order to promote the business interests of our neighbors."[15] Fellow Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul brought the issue to mainstream prominence during the December 2007 CNNYouTube GOP debate, where he rejected the concept and also called it the NAFTA Superhighway after the North American Free Trade Agreement and, like Hunter, framed it within the ultimate goal of creating a North American Union
.

In 2011, the Texas Legislature formally repealed its authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor with the passage of HB 1201.[16][17]

Junction list

Southern segment
Texas
US 83 in Laredo; the highways travel concurrently to Botines, approx. 18 miles (29 km) north.
I-69W / US 59 in Laredo
US 57 in Moore
I-410 in San Antonio
I-10 / US 87 / US 90 in San Antonio. I-10/I-35/US 87 travels concurrently through Downtown San Antonio.
I-37 / US 281 in San Antonio
I-410 on the San Antonio–Windcrest city line; concurrency for three miles (4.8 km).
US 290 in Austin; the highways travel concurrently through Austin.
US 183 in Austin
US 79 in Round Rock
I-14 / US 190 in Copperas_Cove; US 190 travels concurrently to Belton.
US 77 in Waco; the highways travel concurrently to northeast of Hillsboro; follows route of I-35E afterward.
US 84 on the Waco–Bellmead city line
I-35E / I-35W north-northeast of Hillsboro
Central segment
Texas
I-35E / I-35W in Denton
US 380 in Denton
US 77 in Denton; the highways travel concurrently to south of Thackerville, Oklahoma.
US 82 in Gainesville
Oklahoma
US 70 in Ardmore; the highways travel concurrently through Ardmore.
US 77 north of Springer
US 77 in Davis
US 77 in Norman; the highways travel concurrently to Oklahoma City.
I-240 / US 62 in Oklahoma City; I-35/US 62 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City.
I-40 / I-235 / US 77 / US 270 in Oklahoma City; I-35/I-40/US 270 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City.
I-44 in Oklahoma City; the highways travel concurrently through Oklahoma City.
US 77 in Edmond; the highways travel concurrently to Guthrie.
US 77 in Perry
US 64 in Perry; the highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Perry.
US 64 / US 412 north-northwest of Perry
US 60 in Tonkawa
US 177 north-northwest of Braman
Kansas
US 166 east-northeast of South Haven
Kansas Turnpike southern terminus in rural Sumner County
US 160 east of Wellington
I-135 in Wichita
US 54 / US 400 in Wichita
US 77 north of El Dorado
US 50 in Emporia
US 50 east of Emporia; the highways travel concurrently to Lenexa.
US 75 south-southeast of Olivet
US 59 in Ottawa; the highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Ottawa.
US 56 in Gardner; the highways travel concurrently to Merriam.
US 169 in Olathe; the highways travel concurrently to Merriam.
I-435 / US 50 in Lenexa
US 69 in Lenexa; the highways travel concurrently to Merriam.
I-635 / US 69 in Mission; I-35/US 69 travels concurrently to Kansas City.
US 169 in Kansas City
Missouri
I-670 in Kansas City
I-70 / US 24 / US 40 / US 169 in Kansas City; the highways travel concurrently through Kansas City.
I-29 / I-70 / US 40 / US 71 in Kansas City; I-29/I-35/US 71 travels concurrently through Kansas City.
US 69 in Kansas City
I-435 in Claycomo
US 69 in Pleasant Valley; the highways travel concurrently to Liberty.
US 69 south of Cameron
US 36 in Cameron
US 69 southwest of Winston
US 69 north-northwest of Altamont
US 136 in Bethany
Iowa
US 69 on the Iowa state line south of Lamoni
US 34 in Osceola
I-80 / I-235 in West Des Moines; I-35/I-80 travels concurrently to Ankeny.
US 6 on the CliveUrbandale city line
US 69 in Des Moines
I-80 / I-235 in Ankeny
US 30 southeast of Ames
US 20 southeast of Blairsburg
US 18 south-southeast of Clear Lake; the highways travel concurrently to Clear Lake.
Minnesota
US 65 southeast of Albert Lea
US 65 in Albert Lea
I-90 northeast of Albert Lea
US 14 / US 218 in Owatonna
I-35E / I-35W in Burnsville
Northern segment
Minnesota
I-35E / I-35W in Columbus
US 8 in Forest Lake
US 61 in Wyoming
US 2 in Duluth; the highways travel concurrently through Duluth.
I-535 / US 53 in Duluth
MN 61 in Duluth

[18]

References

  1. ^ Staff (October 31, 2002). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
  2. ^ Gyure, Joseph. "Interstate 35 dramatically changed Waco's face". Waco Tribune-Herald. Archived from the original on January 12, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
  3. ^ Google (February 15, 2008). "overview map of I-35" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  4. ^ Texas Official Travel Map (Map). Cartography by TxDOT. Texas Department of Transportation. 2006.
  5. ^ Bear, Jacci Howard. "Are Interstate Highway 35 and Interregional Highway 35 the Same Road?". About.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2006.
  6. ^ Motor Carriers' Road Atlas (Map) (Deluxe ed.). Rand McNally. 2007. p. 38.
  7. ISSN 1060-6637. FHWA-HRT-04-029. Archived from the original
    on June 10, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2006.
  8. ^ Google (June 8, 2009). "overview map and aerial photo of the Can of Worms interchange" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Cockerell, Penny (June 29, 2006). "50 Years: As the intersection of Interstates 35, 40, and 44, Oklahoma is at America's crossroads". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. p. 2A.
  10. ^ Medley, Robert (June 29, 2006). "Highways continue to drive economy". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. p. 1D.
  11. ]
  12. ^ Jansen, Meghan (December 17, 2010). "All Interstate 29/35 Ramps and Lanes Open Tomorrow: On-Budget and Six Months Ahead of Schedule" (Press release). Missouri Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  13. ^ "I-35 Corridor Section". Trans-Texas Corridor Study. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007.
  14. ^ Kovach, Gretel (December 10, 2007). "Highway to Hell?". Newsweek. Retrieved December 7, 2007.
  15. ^ Kasper, Joe (July 25, 2007). "Hunter NAFTA Super Highway Amendment Passes House" (Press release). Office of Congressman Duncan Hunter. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008.
  16. ^ "Texas Legislature Online - 82(R) History for HB 1201". Texas Legislature. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  17. ^ "Texas Legislature Online - 82(R) Text for HB 1201" (PDF). Texas Legislature. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  18. .

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