Existed: 1963 – present Length 70.41 km | South end: MN 21 at Faribault Constructed 1963 | |
North end: MN 110 at Inver Grove Heights Counties Rice County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota | ||
Minnesota State Highway 3 (MN 3) is a state highway in Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with MN 21 in Faribault and continues north to its northern terminus at an interchange with MN 110 in Inver Grove Heights. MN 3 is 44 miles (71 km) in length.
Contents
Map of MN-3, Minnesota, USA
Route description
MN 3 serves as a north–south route between Faribault, Northfield, Farmington, Rosemount, Eagan and Inver Grove Heights.
MN 3 travels southbound through a series of rolling, wooded hills, over a mostly straight path between its interchange with I-494 to its interchange with MN 55 in Inver Grove Heights. After its junction with MN 55, MN 3 travels along the inside of a valley for a few miles in Eagan, then diverges from the valley, and follows a rail line from Eagan into Rosemount. This portion of the route is heavily wooded, and has many sharp turns with speed limits ranging from 30 to 45 miles per hour (48 to 72 km/h); at least one sharp turn is inadequately banked. Between Rosemount and Farmington, MN 3 straightens out, and becomes much flatter. This section passes through several farm fields, including a turf farm. The open fields continue to Northfield, though the route begins sloping downward as it enters the city.
Legally, MN 3 is defined as legislative routes 1, 115, and 334 in the Minnesota Statutes. The route is not marked with those numbers.
History
MN 3 was established in 1963, from the southern portion of former MN 218. This route was originally numbered 65 as part of old U.S. Highway 65 (US 65) from 1927 to 1934. It was built between Faribault and MN 149 in Inver Grove Heights and was paved as early as 1929.
The route was renumbered 218 in 1934 as part of old US 218 from 1934 to 1935, which was eventually redesignated MN 218 from 1935 to 1963. The route was renumbered MN 3 in 1963.
MN 3 follows a roadway from Faribault to Inver Grove Heights that previously extended north through West St. Paul, downtown Saint Paul, and ended at the State Capitol. This section is still under state maintenance as unmarked MN 952.
The route was once part of the Jefferson Highway, an automobile highway stretching through the central U.S. until the late 1920s. MN 3 is still part of unmarked Constitutional Route 1.
From the late 1970s to 1994, MN 3 was previously routed on the Lafayette Freeway through South St. Paul / West St. Paul to downtown Saint Paul. Nearby US 52 was routed on a stretch of Robert Street during this period of time. The Lafayette Freeway was completely constructed in 1994, US 52 was then rerouted along that route and MN 3 was shortened to its current northern terminus at its junction with MN 110 in Inver Grove Heights.