Minnesota State Highway 610

MN 610 starts at a partial interchange with I-94/US 52 in Maple Grove; eastbound traffic on I-94/southbound US 52 can exit to MN 610, and westbound traffic on MN 610 merges onto westbound I-94/northbound US 52. From there, the freeway continues eastward through an interchange with Maple Grove Parkway,[3] and it turns southeasterly to its interchange with CR 81 in Maple Grove. From this point, the freeway runs eastbound through the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. MN 610 is four lanes in width and has several interchanges with local streets and county roads before expanding to six lanes and meeting the northern terminus of MN 252 on the west bank of the Mississippi River. After MN 252 interchange, the MN 610 freeway turns to the northeast and crosses the Mississippi River on the dual-span, eight-lane Richard P. Braun Bridge.[4][5]

Across the river, the freeway runs along the south side of the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park before curving around to the east. It continues through suburban Coon Rapids as a six-lane freeway to a partial interchange with northbound MN 47. This interchange is used by eastbound traffic transitioning to westbound US 10. The final section east to US 10 in Blaine is four lanes. The second interchange along this section of the freeway with University Avenue is used to connect with MN 47 southbound. The last interconnected interchange is at the eastern terminus as traffic defaults onto US 10 eastbound.[4][5]

Legally, MN 610 is defined as Route 333 in the Minnesota Statutes § 161.115(264).[6] The highway is not marked with this legislative route number along the actual highway.[4] The entire route of MN 610 has been listed on the National Highway System,[7] a system of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[8]

Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar with other dignitaries breaking ground on the MN 610 extension

MN 610 was proposed in the middle of the 1960s as a "North Crosstown" freeway. Studies for the highway started in the 1970s.[9] The highway was first authorized on June 2, 1975.[2] The westbound span of the Mississippi River bridge was built in 1985,[10] and, along with the existing freeway east of MN 252, was opened in October 1987.[11] Officials in Minnesota proposed tolls as a means to fund the construction on the highway in 1989.[12] Local officials supported the highway construction, but opposed the tolling plans.[13]

West of MN 252, the freeway construction started in June 1997. The freeway was opened to traffic in 2000, with a traffic light at the intersection of MN 610 and US 169 initially.[14] Construction on the second bridge over the Mississippi River for eastbound traffic started in 1999,[15] to be completed in 2002.[14]

Construction of the portion between US 169 and CR 81 was estimated to cost $48 million in 2010, of which $27 million is being funded by federal stimulus money. The project began in October 2009, and it was scheduled to be completed in July 2011.[16] The remainder of the highway to I-94 was not on a MnDOT schedule to be built.[16] The new western terminus was to be located at Elm Creek Boulevard in Maple Grove. The freeway continued westward from this point in the median of CR 81, but this section was to be an unused stub end past the ramps that connect to CR 81[9] During the 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown, construction on MN 610 was halted for 20 days. Until work stopped on July 1, 2011, a ribbon-cutting ceremony had been scheduled to open the new freeway section on July 12.[17] The ribbon cutting ceremony was on August 17 and the road opened on August 19.[18]

MN 610 was originally planned to extend west to I-94 in Maple Grove,[2] and the freeway's mile markers reflected these plans, with the zero point calibrated to this terminus.[1] A portion of this section is very unusual; it is routed down the middle of the median of CR 81 in Maple Grove, forming a roadway within a roadway.[9]

On April 4, 2016, construction started on an interchange with Maple Grove Parkway.[19] The final segment to I-94 opened on December 9, 2016.[3]

MnDOT officials have plans to extend MN 610 westward to connect to CR 30 in Corcoran, and officials are working to secure funding to build the missing ramps at the I-94/US 52 interchange.[3]

All exits are unnumbered.

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Hennepin	Maple Grove	0.000	0.000	I-94 west / US 52 north – St. Cloud	Western terminus; no access to eastbound I-94
				Maple Grove Parkway
		2.486	4.001	CR 130 (Elm Creek Boulevard) / CR 81	Opened on August 19, 2011;[18] separate exit ramps westbound; no westbound entrance
		3.579	5.760	CR 202 (Zachary Lane)	Opened on August 19, 2011[18]
	Brooklyn Park	5.117	8.235	US 169	Interchange reconstructed in 2011; former western terminus
		5.806	9.344	CR 103 (West Broadway Avenue)
		6.817	10.971	CR 14 (Zane Avenue)
		7.850	12.633	CR 12 (Noble Parkway)
		9.584	15.424	MN 252 south – Minneapolis	Northern terminus of MN 252
Mississippi River		9.815– 10.067	15.796– 16.201	Richard P. Braun Bridge
Anoka	Coon Rapids	10.433	16.790	CR 1 (East River Road)	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
				Foley Park and Ride	Westbound entrance only
		11.066	17.809	CR 3 (Coon Rapids Boulevard)	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
		11.747	18.905	MN 47 north to US 10 west	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
	Blaine	11.922	19.187	CR 51 (University Avenue)	No eastbound entrance
		12.314	19.817	US 10 east	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

•  U.S. Roads portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Minnesota State Highway 610.

• MN 610 at The Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page