Interstate 35

Interstate35 (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 (MN61, London Road) and 26thAvenue East. 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 (2,523km), I-35 is the ninth-longest Interstate Highway following I-94, and it is the third-longest north–south Interstate Highway, following I-75 and I-95. Even though the route is generally considered to be a border-to-border highway, this highway does not directly connect to either international border. I-35's southern terminus is the traffic signal at Hidalgo Street in Laredo, Texas, just short of the Mexican border. Travelers going south can take one of two toll bridges across the Rio Grande and the border, either straight ahead onto the Juárez–Lincoln International Bridge, or via Business Interstate35-A (Bus. I-35-A) through downtown Laredo into the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge. To the north, I-35 terminates in Duluth, Minnesota, with connections to Canada from the Interstate's terminus via MN61 to Grand Portage, or north to the border at International Falls, Minnesota, via U.S. Route53 (US53) 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) San Antonio, Texas; Austin, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa.

Route description

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 (27km) concurrency with US83. Through Webb, La Salle, and Frio counties, it has a mostly north-northeastern course, turning more northeasterly around Moore. 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 US87) 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 US 290 through Downtown Austin. Throughout Austin, elevated express lanes were constructed on either side of the original 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 US77. The campuses of both the University of Texas at Austin and Baylor University are located adjacent to I-35.

I-35 then heads to Hillsboro, where it splits into I-35W and I-35E and runs through the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The official milemarkers, along with the route of US77, follow I-35E through Dallas—I-35W, which is 85 miles (137km) 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

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

Between the Oklahoma state line and Emporia, I-35 is part of the Kansas Turnpike. This section of Interstate serves Wichita and passes through the Flint Hills area. At Emporia, I-35 branches off on its own alignment. This free section of I-35 provides access to Ottawa before entering the 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 US75 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 (26km) north of Burlington at exit155. Historically, the intersection referred to as "BETO Junction" before I-35 was constructed was located on the old US75 alignments two miles (3.2km) south and two miles (3.2km) east, near Waverly, Kansas.

Missouri

I-35 enters Missouri two miles (3.2km) southwest of Kansas City's Central Business District as a six-lane highway. After merging with Southwest Trafficway and Broadway, it becomes eight lanes and continues north to downtown Kansas City, where it serves as the west and north legs of the downtown freeway loop. Along the north edge of the loop, I-35 joins with I-70 immediately west of Broadway and carries six lanes of traffic with a speed limit of 45mph (72km/h). Upon leaving the loop, I-29 begins, concurrent with I-35. The two Interstates cross the Missouri River together on the 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

In the southern sections of the state, I-35 is parallel to US69 for much of its course.

In Des Moines, I-35 has a 12-mile (19km) overlap with I-80. The concurrency takes place northwest of the downtown district of the city. At exit127 of I-80, the overlap turns east and terminates at exit137 via an interchange with I-235.

North of Des Moines, I-35 is mainly parallel with US69, traversing a vast and rural area of Iowa.

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

At Medford, Minnesota, the on- and offramps lead to roundabouts rather than standard cross intersections. 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 Minneapolis–Saint 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 35mph (56km/h) (although many drivers are able to maintain the speed limit of 55mph (89km/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 MN5 and I-94, in both directions, trucks weighing more than 9,000 pounds (4,100kg) are banned from the freeway, and the speed limit drops to 45mph (72km/h). This section was not completed until the late 1980s (although the route was cleared and graded earlier) due to opposition from the historic Crocus Hill neighborhood, which sits only a few hundred feet from the alignment. The four-lane alignment, "parkway" design was a compromise. The truck bypass for this section is signed on I-494 and I-694 to the east of Saint Paul.

I-35 has an interchange with I-535/US53 in Duluth, Minnesota, known locally as the "Can of Worms". This junction features a pair of left exits from I-35, a stoplight, and lane drops over the I-35 bridge.

The national northern terminus of I-35 is at an intersection in eastern Duluth. Drivers' options include merging with London Road/MN61 northbound, proceeding through the stop lights onto 26thAvenue 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. Through Norman, Oklahoma, the Interstate opened in June1959. In Moore, it opened in two parts: the northern half, connecting Moore to Oklahoma City, opened in January1960. The southern half, linking it to Norman, was opened to traffic in June1967.

I-35 through Oklahoma largely parallels US77. 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 US77. 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 (1.6km) from the U.S. Route.

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

The final segment of I-35 (as originally planned) to open was in north-central Iowa, between Mason City and US20 near Iowa Falls. This segment was delayed due to some controversy. Originally, I-35 was to follow the alignment of US69 from Des Moines to the Minnesota border, but Mason City's business community lobbied for the route to be moved closer to their city. On September1, 1965, the alignment was changed to instead parallel US65 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 November1972 ruling rejected a lawsuit filed by the farmers, and the final segment of I-35 was allowed to proceed, eventually opening in 1975.

The Paseo Bridge over the Missouri River in Kansas City, Missouri, was replaced by the dual-span cable-stayed Christopher S. Bond Bridge in December2010.

"NAFTA Superhighway" controversy

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. 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 Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2002. It consisted of a 1,200-foot (370m) wide highway that also carried utilities such as electricity, petroleum, and water as well as railway track and fiberoptic cables. In July2007, US Representative Duncan Hunter successfully offered an amendment to House Resolution3074, 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." Fellow Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul brought the issue to mainstream prominence during the December2007 CNN–YouTube 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 HB1201.

Junction list

Source:

Southern segment

Texas US83 in Laredo; the highways travel concurrently to Botines, approx. 18 miles (29km) north. I-69W/US59 in Laredo US57 in Moore I-410 in San Antonio I-10/US87/US90 in San Antonio. I-10/I-35/US87 travels concurrently through Downtown San Antonio. I-37/US281 in San Antonio I-410 on the San Antonio–Windcrest city line; concurrency for three miles (4.8km). US290 in Austin; the highways travel concurrently through Austin. US183 in Austin US79 in Round Rock I-14/US190 in Copperas Cove; US 190 travels concurrently to Belton. US77 in Waco; the highways travel concurrently to northeast of Hillsboro; follows route of I-35E afterward. US84 on the Waco–Bellmead city line I-35E/I-35W north-northeast of Hillsboro

Central segment

Texas I-35E/I-35W in Denton US380 in Denton US77 in Denton; the highways travel concurrently to south of Thackerville, Oklahoma. US82 in Gainesville Oklahoma US70 in Ardmore; the highways travel concurrently through Ardmore. US77 north of Springer US77 in Davis US77 in Norman; the highways travel concurrently to Oklahoma City. I-240/US62 in Oklahoma City; I-35/US62 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City. I-40/I-235/US77/US270 in Oklahoma City; I-35/I-40/US270 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City. I-44 in Oklahoma City; the highways travel concurrently through Oklahoma City. US77 in Edmond; the highways travel concurrently to Guthrie. US77 in Perry US64 in Perry; the highways travel concurrently to north-northwest of Perry. US64/US412 north-northwest of Perry US60 in Tonkawa US177 north-northwest of Braman Kansas US166 east-northeast of South Haven Kansas Turnpike southern terminus in rural Sumner County US160 east of Wellington I-135 in Wichita US54/US400 in Wichita US77 north of El Dorado I-335/Kansas Turnpike in Emporia US50 in Emporia US50 east of Emporia; the highways travel concurrently to Lenexa. US75 south-southeast of Olivet US59 in Ottawa; the highways travel concurrently to east-northeast of Ottawa. US56 in Gardner; the highways travel concurrently to Merriam. US169 in Olathe; the highways travel concurrently to Merriam. I-435/US50 in Lenexa US69 in Lenexa; the highways travel concurrently to Merriam. I-635/US69 in Mission; I-35/US69 travels concurrently to Kansas City. US169 in Kansas City Missouri I-670 in Kansas City I-70/US24/US40/US169 in Kansas City; the highways travel concurrently through Kansas City. I-29/I-70/US40/US71 in Kansas City; I-29/I-35/US71 travels concurrently through Kansas City. US69 in Kansas City I-435 in Claycomo US69 in Pleasant Valley; the highways travel concurrently to Liberty. US69 south of Cameron US36 in Cameron US69 southwest of Winston US69 north-northwest of Altamont US136 in Bethany Iowa US69 on the Iowa state line south of Lamoni US34 in Osceola I-80/I-235 in West Des Moines; I-35/I-80 travels concurrently to Ankeny. US6 on the Clive–Urbandale city line US69 in Des Moines I-80/I-235 in Ankeny US30 southeast of Ames US20 southeast of Blairsburg US18 south-southeast of Clear Lake; the highways travel concurrently to Clear Lake. Minnesota US65 southeast of Albert Lea US65 in Albert Lea I-90 northeast of Albert Lea US14/US218 in Owatonna I-35E/I-35W in Burnsville

Northern segment

Minnesota I-35E/I-35W in Columbus US8 in Forest Lake US61 in Wyoming US2 in Duluth; the highways travel concurrently through Duluth. I-535/US53 in Duluth MN61 in Duluth

External links

• Geographic data related toatOpenStreetMap