South end: US 53 at Virginia Counties: St. Louis Constructed 2 November 1920 | North end: MN 1 / MN 169 at Tower Length 58.19 km | |
Existed: November 2, 1920 – present County St. Louis County, Minnesota Major cities Virginia, Gilbert, Aurora, Biwabik, Tower | ||
Minnesota State Highway 135 (MN 135) is a highway in northeast Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with U.S. Highway 53 in the city of Virginia and continues northeast to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 1 in Tower.
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Map of MN-135, Minnesota, USA
The route is also known as the historic Vermilion Trail from Biwabik to Tower. Highway 135 is also known as Main Street within the city of Biwabik.
Highway 135 was originally designated 35 until it was re-numbered to avoid confusion with Interstate Highway 35.
Between Virginia and Gilbert, the highway twice crosses the Laurentian Divide.
Minnesota State Highway 135 is 36 miles (58 km) in length.
Route description
Highway 135 serves as an east–west and north–south route between the cities of Virginia, Gilbert, Biwabik, Aurora, and Tower in northeast Minnesota.
The route changes direction to north–south as it approaches Aurora and continues as north–south to its northern terminus in Tower.
The highway is officially marked as a north–south route by its highway shields from beginning to end.
The route is legally defined as Constitutional Route 35 in the Minnesota Statutes.
History
The highway was authorized on November 2, 1920.
Originally, this highway was designated State Highway 35. However, it was re-numbered as 135 during the 1960s to avoid duplication with Interstate Highway 35 that was being built in Minnesota during that time.
The route was paved south of Aurora by 1942 and paved south of Embarrass by 1953. The highway was paved completely by 1960.
A section of this route formerly ran through the city of Virginia as a business route to U.S. 53 after construction of the U.S. 53 bypass in the 1970s. This business route had followed both 2nd Avenue and 9th Street North in Virginia during the 1970s and 1980s.
Major intersections
The entire route is in St. Louis County.