Historic U.S. Highway 65, Minnesota
Robert Trail, Farmington to St. Paul
U.S. 65 spent nearly the first 8 years of its existence as the route between Farmington and St. Paul before it switched allegiances and became the route to Minneapolis in 1934. Its final route to St. Paul was along Robert Trail, marked today as State Highway 3.
Robert Trail was constructed as two separate projects by two separate entities. The majority was originally paved in 1922 as part of State Route 1 between Farmington and what is now State Highway 149. The rest was constructed by Ramsey County and completed in about 1928 with 27 feet of concrete pavement, a full 9 feet wider than the old road. Although it was not yet part of the trunk highway system, U.S. 65 was rerouted onto Robert Trail in late 1931.
After U.S. 65 was rerouted to Minneapolis in 1934, Robert Trail became Highway 218, with U.S. 52 using the section north of Courthouse Boulevard. Highway 218 eventually became State Highway 3 in 1961.
4th and Willow Streets, Farmington
The original route out of Farmington used 4th and Willow Streets to connect with the current alignment of Highway 3.
Looking north on 4th Street towards the curve onto Willow, with the Kemps plant on the right.
Photo from April, 2006.
Driving east on Willow Street towards Highway 3.
Photo from April, 2006.
Chippendale Avenue, Farmington to Rosemount
State Highway 3 between Farmington and Rosemount mostly follows the alignment of the original paved highway, labeled today as Chippendale Avenue. However, suburban development has been slowly filling in what was once farmland in Empire Township. The unfortunate conflict of emerging residential needs with the road's existing design as a through-highway culminated in the death of a 17 year old turning into his driveway, leading to a safety audit by MnDOT. In light of this, a roundabout was recently constructed to slow through traffic.
Northbound on Highway 3 in Empire Township, before the recent safety improvements.
Photo from March, 2007.
Dusk on Highway 3, approaching Rosemount.
Photo from March, 2007.
Old Highway South of Rosemount
Highway 3 was realigned in 2002 just south of Rosemount, eliminating an at-grade rail crossing, and leaving behind two sections of the old road in the process (the two sections are separated by 160th Street).
Northbound on Highway 3 at the beginning of the realignment. The old highway continued straight ahead towards the farmhouse in the distance.
Photo from March, 2007.
Looking north on southern section of the old highway, showing its old striping.
Photo from November, 2005.
Looking back to the south from 160th Street towards the perspective of the previous photo, showing the abandoned road grade.
Photo from November, 2005.
Looking south on the northern segment of old highway, showing the old at-grade rail crossing and the remaining highway striping.
Photo from November, 2005.
Rosemount
Once a small farming community, Rosemount was once the last town on the way to St. Paul on U.S. 65.
At County Road 42 on the south side of old downtown Rosemount, showing standard suburban businesses (left) alongside an old depot (right) and grain elevators (distance).
Photo from March, 2007.
Driving through old downtown Rosemount. The intersection ahead was the old junction with County Road 42.
Photo from May, 2007.
The old Rosemount school on the north side of town, now incorporated into the modern middle-school.
Photo from May, 2007.
Highway 149 to I-494
Approaching the junction with Highway 149 in Inver Grove Heights. The railroad overpass ahead was constructed back in 1921 as part of the original paving project on State Route 1.
Photo from May, 2007.
On Robert Trail, just east of the junction with Highway 149, on the highway originally built in the late 1920's by Ramsey County. The road between Highway 149 and Highway 55 has been repaved and widened, but never fully rebuilt.
Photo from May, 2007.
Approaching the junction with County Road 71.
Photo from May, 2007.
The extremely sharp curve at the junction with County Road 71 (driving through this junction on Co Rd 71 is not for the faint of heart!)
Photo from February, 2006.
A section of the original highway, now a private drive just southeast of the interchange of Robert Trail with Highway 55. This section was bypassed way back in 1941 by the construction of one of the first cloverleaf interchanges in Minnesota (the interchange was replaced in the early 1990's).
Photo from February, 2006.
POV shot just north of Lone Oak Road in Inver Grove Heights.
Photo from May, 2007.
Approaching the junction with I-494 in Inver Grove Heights. Also note the expansion to four lanes ahead. The rest of the old route is now a major retail corridor, unrecognizable from how it appeared in the 1920's and 30's.
Photo from May, 2007.
Crossing I-494, with the South Robert Street retail strip in the distance.
Photo from April, 2006.
The end of State Highway 3 at Highway 110. The rest of the old route into St. Paul is still under state jurisdiction as unmarked U.S. 952A.
Photo from May, 2007.
The West St. Paul retail strip along Robert Trail.
Photo from April, 2006.
At the St. Paul city limits.
Photo from April, 2006.
