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| Hiawatha Avenue | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hiawatha Avenue |
| Other names | Trunk Highway 55 |
| Location | Minneapolis and Richfield, Minnesota, United States |
| Length mi | approximately 5.8 |
| Maint | Minnesota Department of Transportation |
| Direction a | North |
| Direction b | South |
| Terminus a | Interstate 35W |
| Terminus b | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport |
Hiawatha Avenue is a major arterial and state highway corridor in Minneapolis and Richfield, Minnesota, connecting downtown Minneapolis to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and regional transportation nodes. The avenue functions as a multimodal spine integrating highway, light rail, arterial bus rapid transit, freight, and pedestrian networks, intersecting neighborhoods, business districts, industrial zones, and civic institutions. Its alignment and infrastructure have shaped urban development, land use patterns, and transit planning across Hennepin County and the Twin Cities metropolitan region.
The route begins near Interstate 35W and proceeds south through the Warehouse District, adjacent to the Mississippi River corridor, passing landmarks such as U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Field, Target Center, and skirting the edge of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Continuing, it intersects with Interstate 94, enters the Loring Park and Uptown influence areas, and crosses near institutions including Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Institute of Art. Further south the avenue passes industrial zones tied to Canadian Pacific and BNSF Railway operations, interchanges with Minnesota State Highway 62, and provides direct access to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport via ramps connecting to airport terminals and service roads close to Fort Snelling National Cemetery and Minnehaha Creek. The corridor traverses multiple city wards and interacts with municipal boundaries involving Minneapolis and Richfield.
The corridor originated as part of 20th-century trunk highway planning under the Minnesota Department of Highways and was designated as Minnesota State Highway 55 during statewide renumbering efforts, paralleling early Great Northern Railway freight alignments and servicing expansion tied to Minneapolis Grain Exchange. Mid-century projects included grade separations influenced by Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 funding and coordination with the Civil Aeronautics Administration for airport access, prompting alignments near Crystal Airport proposals and the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Urban renewal and freeway revolts of the 1960s and 1970s involving activists associated with Coalition for a New Minnesota and planning debates in Minneapolis City Council shaped the avenue’s right-of-way, leading to compromises between highway expansion and neighborhood preservation championed by figures connected to Local Initiatives Support Corporation-style community advocacy. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw redesigns for multimodal integration coinciding with projects by Metropolitan Council, the implementation of the Hiawatha Line (METRO Blue Line) light rail, and infrastructure investments overseen by Minnesota Department of Transportation and Hennepin County.
The corridor hosts METRO Blue Line light rail stations and dedicated lanes used by Metro Transit buses, connecting to regional services like Northstar Line commuter rail and intermodal hubs near Target Field station. Freight movements utilize adjacent rail rights-of-way owned by BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, interfacing with Minnesota Commercial Airport freight flows and airport cargo facilities managed by the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Bus rapid transit planning by Metro Transit and Metropolitan Council has proposed Priority Bus Corridors along parallel arterials, while signal timing and arterial management projects have been implemented with funding from Federal Transit Administration grants and state multimodal programs administered by Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Key intersections include junctions with I-35W, I-94, Minnesota State Highway 62, and connection points to Minnesota State Highway 55. Landmark adjacencies feature U.S. Bank Stadium, Target Field, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Walker Art Center, Minnehaha Falls Regional Park proximity corridors, Fort Snelling State Park access routes, and commercial complexes like the Mall of America planning region via connector routes. Institutions and facilities along or near the avenue include Hennepin County Medical Center-affiliated clinics, University of Minnesota Medical Center, corporate offices such as Target Corporation headquarters influence, and cultural venues historically served by the corridor including Orpheum Theatre and Guthrie Theater.
Land use along the avenue spans industrial, commercial, residential, and institutional categories, with redevelopment projects influenced by urban renewal policies and transit-oriented development (TOD) initiatives promoted by Metropolitan Council and Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED). Significant redevelopment proposals have involved partnerships with developers like Ryan Companies US, Inc. and United Properties, leveraging federal programs such as New Markets Tax Credit allocations and state tax increment financing administered by Hennepin County. Mixed-use complexes, live-work loft conversions in former warehouses associated with Pillsbury Company-era milling districts, and airport-support logistics centers reflect a continuum from 19th-century milling and rail freight economies to 21st-century service, technology, and healthcare clusters anchored by entities such as Medtronic and Best Buy Co., Inc. regional offices.
Traffic studies by Minnesota Department of Transportation and crash data compiled by Hennepin County show variable vehicle volumes, peak-hour congestion levels, and safety concerns at major signalized intersections monitored by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. Pedestrian and bicycle safety evaluations conducted in collaboration with Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition and Transit for Livable Communities informed redesigns including protected crossings, lighting upgrades funded by U.S. Department of Transportation grants, and speed management measures consistent with Vision Zero discussions in Minneapolis City Council. Freight collision hotspots and transit delay metrics have been addressed through corridor management plans developed by Metropolitan Council and Metro Transit.
The avenue and its adjacent neighborhoods have appeared in coverage by outlets such as the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and public radio segments on Minnesota Public Radio. Cultural references surface in works from regional artists linked to Walker Art Center exhibitions, film productions coordinated with Minnesota Film and TV Board, and music venues that hosted performers represented by First Avenue & 7th St Entry. Urban studies and architecture literature from University of Minnesota scholars and publications by the Minnesota Historical Society examine the avenue’s role in shaping metropolitan patterns, while television and streaming productions set in Minneapolis have used the corridor and nearby landmarks for establishing shots tied to narratives about the Twin Cities.
Category:Streets in Minneapolis Category:Roads in Minnesota