U.S. 63 at Rochester, MN

[The High Plains Traveler]

Under the topic discussing the AASHTO meeting this monthhttps://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=6658.0, it is revealed that Minnesota is re-routing U.S. 63 around downtown Rochester. Instead of following Broadway through downtown, U.S. 63 will jump on the U.S. 52 freeway that bypasses Rochester to the west and run concurrent with 52 to its junction with Olmsted CSAH 14 (75th St. NW) north of the city. It will then follow former CSAH 14 several miles east to where it intersects 63.  The current U.S. 63 through the city will be turned back to the city, and north of the city limits it will be turned back to Olmsted County.

There currently isn't a signal at the current CSAH 14/U.S. 63 intersection or a stop sign for 63, at what appears to be a typical rural intersection. I would have to guess at a minimum a 4-way stop will be put there, possibly with a right turn bypassing the stop for southbound 63.

[mgk920]

Under the topic discussing the AASHTO meeting this monthhttps://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=6658.0, it is revealed that Minnesota is re-routing U.S. 63 around downtown Rochester. Instead of following Broadway through downtown, U.S. 63 will jump on the U.S. 52 freeway that bypasses Rochester to the west and run concurrent with 52 to its junction with Olmsted CSAH 14 (75th St. NW) north of the city. It will then follow former CSAH 14 several miles east to where it intersects 63.  The current U.S. 63 through the city will be turned back to the city, and north of the city limits it will be turned back to Olmsted County.

There currently isn't a signal at the current CSAH 14/U.S. 63 intersection or a stop sign for 63, at what appears to be a typical rural intersection. I would have to guess at a minimum a 4-way stop will be put there, possibly with a right turn bypassing the stop for southbound 63.

Maybe a roundabout, too.

Mike

[Coelacanth]

I wish they were signing the old route thru the city as Business 63.

Otherwise this move makes complete sense.

[texaskdog]

I wish they were signing the old route thru the city as Business 63.

Otherwise this move makes complete sense.

Minnesota seems to hate Business Routes.  I believe there are only 2.

It looks like it will need a little work...they just plopped the line over.  Surprised they didn't do this years ago.

[agentsteel53]

Minnesota seems to hate Business Routes.  I believe there are only 2.

It looks like it will need a little work...they just plopped the line over.  Surprised they didn't do this years ago.

I can think of three offhand: 14 in Dodge, 371 in Brainerd, and 71 ... somewhere, I can't remember.

[Mdcastle]

There's only two official ones... sometimes locals will also sign a business route with sometimes oddball signage. Willmar and (formerly?) Dodge Center for example. Willmar even has (had?) multiple styles of both the standalone signs (including a US cutout) and ones on green backgrounds. Or sometimes Mn/DOT will put a "THRU CITY" tag on a regular route.

[agentsteel53]

There's only two official ones... sometimes locals will also sign a business route with sometimes oddball signage. Willmar and (formerly?) Dodge Center for example. Willmar even has (had?) multiple styles of both the standalone signs (including a US cutout) and ones on green backgrounds. Or sometimes Mn/DOT will put a "THRU CITY" tag on a regular route.

do you have photos of the US cutout, and the "THRU CITY" sign?

[Mdcastle]

Yes and no. I have probably 1000 highway photos on film and I've just started a project to organize and catalog them, and send some of the better ones that I don't have high resolution scans of out to a commercial scanning service. My collection of business signs currently exist as prints, negatives (except for the business 14 sign in Dodge Center which I'm missing the negative from), and very low resolution scans from the prints. I intend to have high resolution scans made eventually but it may be a while.

[agentsteel53]

even a shitty low-resolution scan of that cutout would be cool.  as far as I know, there are no surviving cutouts on MN.  there is one state-named US shield - it's at the exit of Lake Itasca State Park.

[Mdcastle]

Here's my business route sign collection, As you can see I've had a few of the negatives scanned but most are just scans I did of the prints years ago.

[agentsteel53]

awesome!  the California-style cutout is great!  yes, that is indeed the same shape as a CA cutout, except with different margin layout and "BUSINESS" instead of "US"

[The High Plains Traveler]

Of the above photos, only Business 371 is an official state route trunk highway. Not sure about that BL I-35, one of which follows U.S. 65 through Albert Lea and is therefore on a trunk highway. Another business-designated trunk highway isn't shown above, U.S. 2 Business at East Grand Forks. It is posted with a BUSINESS banner over a standard U.S. route shield. MN-197 may have the THRU CITY banner, but it's the extent of MN-197 - old U.S. 2-71 through Bemidji.

[froggie]

The current U.S. 63 through the city will be turned back to the city, and north of the city limits it will be turned back to Olmsted County.

The specific point of change between city and county will be East Circle Drive, so there'll still be a little bit within the city limits that's county jurisdiction instead of city.

There currently isn't a signal at the current CSAH 14/U.S. 63 intersection or a stop sign for 63, at what appears to be a typical rural intersection. I would have to guess at a minimum a 4-way stop will be put there, possibly with a right turn bypassing the stop for southbound 63.

MnDOT is building a roundabout at US 63/CSAH 14 this summer.

[Mdcastle]

Found it on my road trip yesterday. 10 points to anyone that can name the location (Hint, it's half on trunk highway, half off.

[froggie]

The only "Business 60" I know of is in St. James.  And it's not consistently signed either, unless things have changed in recent years.

[Mdcastle]

You win. It's now signed pretty well: on the BGSes on the mainline, and on the business route there are periodically standalone shields.