Hennepin County Road 122 is an unsigned county state-aid highway within the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Hennepin County, Minnesota

Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, crossing the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 on the Washington Avenue Bridge

Washington Avenue Bridge (Minneapolis)

The Washington Avenue Bridge carries County Road 122 across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota and connects the East Bank and West Bank portions of the University of Minnesota's main campus...

.

Route description

County 122 connects the East Bank and West Bank of the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 - Minneapolis campus. On the East Bank, County 122 follows Washington Avenue

Washington Avenue (Minneapolis)

Washington Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Starting north of Lowry Avenue, the street runs straight south, with Interstate 94 running alongside it until just south of West Broadway, when the freeway turns to the west...

 and is the primary route through the Stadium Village district of the University. On the West Bank, County 122 follows a short freeway, with exits to Cedar Avenue and Interstate 35W

Interstate 35W (Minnesota)

Interstate 35W , is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Minneapolis. It is one of two through routes for Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being Interstate 35E through downtown Saint Paul...

, that feeds into 3rd Street and 4th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Between them is the double-decker Washington Avenue Bridge that carries vehicular traffic on the lower level and bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the top level.

The route stretches from Interstate 35W eastbound to University Avenue

University Avenue (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

University Avenue in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region of Minnesota begins near the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul and extends westward into neighboring Minneapolis, where it passes the University of Minnesota, and then turns north to pass through several suburbs before ending in Blaine,...

 (CR 36); the continuation west of Interstate 35W into 3rd and 4th Streets (which cross downtown to Interstate 94

Interstate 94 in Minnesota

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 94 runs east–west through the central portion of the state. The route connects the cities of Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, St...

 at exit number 230) is a city street. Since parts of old County Road 18 (now U.S. 169

U.S. Route 169 in Minnesota

U.S. Route 169 is a major north–south highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, connecting the Minnesota River valley with the Twin Cities and the Iron Range. Much of the route is built to expressway or freeway standards.-Route description:U.S...

) and old County Road 62 (now State Highway 62

Minnesota State Highway 62 (east)

Minnesota State Highway 62 is a highway in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The route was part of Hennepin County Road 62 until 1988, when a portion of the route was inherited by the state. The western terminus of the route is at Interstate Highway 494 in Eden Prairie, where the roadway...

) were transferred to state maintenance in 1988, County Road 122 is currently the only freeway maintained by Hennepin County.

History

In 1933, the Minnesota State Legislature added the corridor formed by Washington and University Avenues to the state highway system as part of Legislative Route 104:

Beginning at the present terminus of Minnesota Constitutional Route 3 on the easterly limits of the city of St. Paul, thence extending in a northwesterly direction through the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis to the present point of beginning of Constitutional Route 3 on the westerly limits of the city of Minneapolis.

By the time the Minnesota Department of Highways

Minnesota Department of Transportation

The Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...

 had laid out the numbering in 1934, this corridor served the following former route numbers: U.S. 12

U.S. Route 12 in Minnesota

U.S. Route 12 is a highway in west-central and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the South Dakota state line at Ortonville near Big Stone Lake and continues east to the St. Croix River at the Wisconsin state line. U.S. 12 in Minnesota is in length...

, U.S. 52

U.S. Route 52 in Minnesota

U.S. Highway 52 enters the state of Minnesota at the unincorporated community of Prosper, north of the town of Burr Oak, Iowa. The route is marked north–south in Minnesota along its independent segment from the Iowa state line to downtown St. Paul...

, U.S. 218

U.S. Route 218

U.S. Route 218 is an original United States Highway, created in 1926. Although technically a spur of U.S. Route 18, US 218 neither begins nor ends at US 18, but overlaps US 18 for near Charles City, Iowa. US 218 begins at U.S. Route 136 in downtown Keokuk and ends away at...

 (later State Highway 218

Minnesota State Highway 218

Minnesota State Highway 218 was a highway that originally ran from U.S. Route 218 in St. Paul to U.S. Route 210 in Brainerd. In 1935, it was extended south to Owatonna along the former route of U.S. 218...

), and State Highway 56

Minnesota State Highway 56

Minnesota State Highway 56 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 63 near the Iowa state line and Chester, Iowa, and continues north to its northern terminus at its junction with U.S...

. Highway 56 remained on University Avenue on the east side of the Mississippi River, but the three other routes all crossed the Washington Avenue Bridge into downtown Minneapolis. U.S. 12 turned off Washington Avenue to the west on Hennepin Avenue

Hennepin Avenue

Hennepin Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It runs from Lakewood Cemetery , north through the Uptown District of Southwest Minneapolis, through the former "Bottleneck" area west of Loring Park, through the North Loop in the city center, to Northeast Minneapolis and...

, and U.S. 52 and U.S. 218 left at Broadway Avenue (now County Road 81

County Road 81 (Hennepin County, Minnesota)

County State-Aid Highway 81 or County Road 81 is a county highway in Hennepin County, Minnesota, which runs from its junction with Interstate 94 , CR 66, and CR 152 in the city of Minneapolis, and continues northwest to its terminus at Main Street in suburban...

). Highway 218 was later eliminated, and Highway 56 north of Washington Avenue became State Highway 47

Minnesota State Highway 47

Minnesota State Highway 47 is a highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with Central Avenue in Minneapolis and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highway 169 in Aitkin....

 in 1963, but otherwise the routes remained the same - even exiting the new freeway to remain on Washington Avenue - until 1981.

In July 1981, U.S. 12 was rerouted onto Interstate 94

Interstate 94 in Minnesota

In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 94 runs east–west through the central portion of the state. The route connects the cities of Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, St...

 between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, while the route of U.S. 52 was changed to use the Third Avenue Bridge

Third Avenue Bridge (Minneapolis)

The Third Avenue Bridge is a landmark structure of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, originally known as the St. Anthony Falls Bridge. It carries road traffic across the Mississippi River and right over the upper fringes of Saint Anthony Falls...

, replacing the southernmost piece of State Highway 47 on University Avenue, and using 3rd and 4th Streets to Interstate 94 at exit number 230. Washington Avenue through downtown Minneapolis was removed from the state highway system, and the bridge and approaches were assigned state trunk highway number 122 (Highway 122) - and a new legislative route number (Route 385). The definition of Legislative Route 385 was repealed in 1996, and in November 1996, State Highway 122 was transferred to Hennepin County maintenance.

Exit list

Mile	Destinations	Notes
		I-94 Interstate 94 in Minnesota In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 94 runs east–west through the central portion of the state. The route connects the cities of Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria, St...  west can be accessed via I-35W
	Washington Avenue Bridge Washington Avenue Bridge (Minneapolis) The Washington Avenue Bridge carries County Road 122 across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota and connects the East Bank and West Bank portions of the University of Minnesota's main campus...
	East River Parkway	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance