Minnesota State Highway 33
Encyclopedia
Minnesota State Highway 33 is a highway
in northeast Minnesota
, which runs from its interchange
with Interstate 35
at Cloquet
and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S. Highway 53
at Independence
. The highway is constructed as a four-lane expressway
with a 65 mi/h speed limit, except for a short distance through the city of Cloquet, where the route is located on a four-lane city surface street.
Highway 33 is a bypass of Duluth
for travelers headed to the Iron Range
of northern Minnesota and International Falls
. The route connects Interstate 35
at Cloquet
with U.S. 53
at Independence
.
The route is 20 miles (32.2 km) in length.
The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange
with Interstate 35
at Exit 237 on the south side of Cloquet. All Highway 33 southbound traffic must enter the I-35 freeway at this interchange. Heading northbound, Highway 33 has a signal-controlled intersection
with Big Lake Road / Doddridge Avenue (County 7) in Cloquet. Highway 33 then travels through the center of Cloquet's downtown area on a four-lane surface street. In downtown Cloquet, the highway runs past the R.W. Lindholm Service Station, which is the only service station designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright
. Highway 33 then has a signal-controlled intersection with Cloquet Avenue at downtown Cloquet. Highway 33 then crosses the Saint Louis River
. The route then has a signal-controlled intersection with North Road. As it leaves Cloquet heading due north, a 65 MPH speed limit begins and the roadway widens out into a four-lane expressway
. Immediately north of Cloquet, Highway 33 crosses into Saint Louis County
after its intersection with Saint Louis River Road.
North of Cloquet, the terrain that Highway 33 crosses is mostly rural. The route has an intersection
with Morris Thomas Road (County 56) and then with Maple Grove Road (County 6). Highway 33 then reaches the unincorporated area of Saginaw
about midway through its route, at its intersection with Saginaw Road (County Roads 46 and 694) and the Canadian National railway crossing. The highway has a diamond interchange
with U.S. Highway 2
at Saginaw, the only major interchange on the mainline route of Highway 33. The route continues north and has an intersection
with Industrial Road (County 7) and then with County 8.
Highway 33 maintains its rural characteristics up to its northern terminus at a Y-interchange with U.S. Highway 53
at Independence
. There is no access from northbound Highway 33 to southbound U.S. 53, so all traffic is required to merge onto northbound U.S. 53. To access southbound U.S. 53 at this point, traffic must take a U-turn at an at-grade crossover past the Y-interchange.
All of Highway 33 is officially designated the Voyageurs Highway. The Voyageurs Highway is a state designation that is also applied to various other state highways in Minnesota, including a portion of U.S. Highway 53.
The route is legally defined as Route 164 in the Minnesota Statutes. It is not marked with this number.
along present-day County Road 7 and County Road 5, intersecting then-U.S. 61 south of U.S. 210 (now State Highway 210
).
By 1953, Highway 33 ran along its current alignment.
Highway 33 was paved by 1940 except for the segment between Highways 210 and 61.
The four-lane divided highway
/ expressway sections of Highway 33 were constructed in pieces from the late 1980s until the early 2000s.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
in northeast Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, which runs from its interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Interstate 35
Interstate 35 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
at Cloquet
Cloquet, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,201 people, 4,636 households, and 2,967 families residing in the city. The population density was 317.9 people per square mile . There were 4,805 housing units at an average density of 136.4 per square mile...
and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S. Highway 53
U.S. Route 53
U.S. Route 53 is a north–south U.S. highway that runs for 403 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin to northern Minnesota. It is the primary north–south route in northwestern Wisconsin, serving as a vital link between I-94 at Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the city of Duluth, Minnesota...
at Independence
Independence, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Independence is an unincorporated community in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located 22 miles northwest of the city of Duluth at the junction of U.S...
. The highway is constructed as a four-lane expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
with a 65 mi/h speed limit, except for a short distance through the city of Cloquet, where the route is located on a four-lane city surface street.
Highway 33 is a bypass of Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
for travelers headed to the Iron Range
Iron Range
The Iron Range is a region that makes up the northeastern section of Minnesota in the United States. "The Range", as it is known by locals, is a region with multiple distinct bands of iron ore...
of northern Minnesota and International Falls
International Falls, Minnesota
International Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census....
. The route connects Interstate 35
Interstate 35 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
at Cloquet
Cloquet, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,201 people, 4,636 households, and 2,967 families residing in the city. The population density was 317.9 people per square mile . There were 4,805 housing units at an average density of 136.4 per square mile...
with U.S. 53
U.S. Route 53
U.S. Route 53 is a north–south U.S. highway that runs for 403 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin to northern Minnesota. It is the primary north–south route in northwestern Wisconsin, serving as a vital link between I-94 at Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the city of Duluth, Minnesota...
at Independence
Independence, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Independence is an unincorporated community in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located 22 miles northwest of the city of Duluth at the junction of U.S...
.
The route is 20 miles (32.2 km) in length.
Route description
Highway 33 serves as a north–south route between Cloquet and Independence in northeast Minnesota.The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Interstate 35
Interstate 35 in Minnesota
In the U.S. state of Minnesota, Interstate 35 is a highway in southeast, east-central, and northeast Minnesota. The route runs north–south from the Iowa state line through the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; where it splits into Interstates 35E and 35W; and ends in the city of...
at Exit 237 on the south side of Cloquet. All Highway 33 southbound traffic must enter the I-35 freeway at this interchange. Heading northbound, Highway 33 has a signal-controlled intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
with Big Lake Road / Doddridge Avenue (County 7) in Cloquet. Highway 33 then travels through the center of Cloquet's downtown area on a four-lane surface street. In downtown Cloquet, the highway runs past the R.W. Lindholm Service Station, which is the only service station designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
. Highway 33 then has a signal-controlled intersection with Cloquet Avenue at downtown Cloquet. Highway 33 then crosses the Saint Louis River
Saint Louis River
The St. Louis River is a river in the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin that flows into Lake Superior. The largest U.S. river to flow into the lake, it is 179 miles in length and starts near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. The river's watershed is in area...
. The route then has a signal-controlled intersection with North Road. As it leaves Cloquet heading due north, a 65 MPH speed limit begins and the roadway widens out into a four-lane expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
. Immediately north of Cloquet, Highway 33 crosses into Saint Louis County
St. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...
after its intersection with Saint Louis River Road.
North of Cloquet, the terrain that Highway 33 crosses is mostly rural. The route has an intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
with Morris Thomas Road (County 56) and then with Maple Grove Road (County 6). Highway 33 then reaches the unincorporated area of Saginaw
Saginaw, Minnesota
Saginaw is an unincorporated area and settlement in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.Saginaw is located 18 miles northwest of the city of Duluth....
about midway through its route, at its intersection with Saginaw Road (County Roads 46 and 694) and the Canadian National railway crossing. The highway has a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with U.S. Highway 2
U.S. Route 2 in Minnesota
U.S. Highway 2 is a highway in northwest and northeast Minnesota, which runs from the Red River at East Grand Forks and continues east to Duluth, where the route crosses the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge over the Saint Louis Bay. The route connects the cities of East Grand Forks, Bemidji, Grand...
at Saginaw, the only major interchange on the mainline route of Highway 33. The route continues north and has an intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
with Industrial Road (County 7) and then with County 8.
Highway 33 maintains its rural characteristics up to its northern terminus at a Y-interchange with U.S. Highway 53
U.S. Route 53
U.S. Route 53 is a north–south U.S. highway that runs for 403 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin to northern Minnesota. It is the primary north–south route in northwestern Wisconsin, serving as a vital link between I-94 at Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the city of Duluth, Minnesota...
at Independence
Independence, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Independence is an unincorporated community in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located 22 miles northwest of the city of Duluth at the junction of U.S...
. There is no access from northbound Highway 33 to southbound U.S. 53, so all traffic is required to merge onto northbound U.S. 53. To access southbound U.S. 53 at this point, traffic must take a U-turn at an at-grade crossover past the Y-interchange.
All of Highway 33 is officially designated the Voyageurs Highway. The Voyageurs Highway is a state designation that is also applied to various other state highways in Minnesota, including a portion of U.S. Highway 53.
The route is legally defined as Route 164 in the Minnesota Statutes. It is not marked with this number.
History
Highway 33 was authorized in 1933. The original route ran west and south from CloquetCloquet, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,201 people, 4,636 households, and 2,967 families residing in the city. The population density was 317.9 people per square mile . There were 4,805 housing units at an average density of 136.4 per square mile...
along present-day County Road 7 and County Road 5, intersecting then-U.S. 61 south of U.S. 210 (now State Highway 210
Minnesota State Highway 210
Minnesota State Highway 210 is a highway in west-central, central, and northeast Minnesota, which runs from North Dakota Highway 210 at the North Dakota state line , and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 23 in Duluth near the Saint Louis River.The route...
).
By 1953, Highway 33 ran along its current alignment.
Highway 33 was paved by 1940 except for the segment between Highways 210 and 61.
The four-lane divided highway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
/ expressway sections of Highway 33 were constructed in pieces from the late 1980s until the early 2000s.