U.S. Route 53

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U.S. Route 53
Length:	403[1] mi (649 km)
Formed:	1926[1]
South end:	US 14/US 61/WIS 16 at La Crosse, WI
Major junctions:	I-90 at La Crosse, WI I-94 at Eau Claire, WI US 12 at Altoona, WI WIS 29 at Lake Hallie, WI US 63 at Spooner, WI US 2 at Superior, WI I-35 at Duluth, MN US 169 at Virginia, MN
North end:	US 71 at Canada border to ON-11/TCH near International Falls, MN
United States Numbered Highways List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

U.S. Highway 53 is a north-south United States highway that runs for 403 miles (649 km) from northern Minnesota to La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is the primary north-south route in northwestern Wisconsin, serving as a vital link between Duluth, Minnesota, and I-94 at Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The entire route from Duluth to Eau Claire is divided multi-lane limited-access highway. The highway's northern terminus is the Fort Frances-International Falls International Bridge in International Falls, Minnesota, at the Canadian border. Its southern terminus is La Crosse, Wisconsin, at U.S. Highway 14.

Major cities
La Crosse, Wisconsin Onalaska, Wisconsin Eau Claire, Wisconsin Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Rice Lake, Wisconsin Superior, Wisconsin Duluth, Minnesota Hermantown, Minnesota Virginia, Minnesota International Falls, Minnesota

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 Wisconsin 1.2 Minnesota 2 See also 3 References

[edit] Route description

[edit] Wisconsin

Main article: U.S. Route 53 in Wisconsin

U.S. 53 begins at US 14 in La Crosse. The portion between there and Eau Claire is a two-lane road. The route becomes a freeway at its junction with I-94 and continues as such north to Rice Lake. North of Rice Lake the route is an expressway to Superior. U.S. 53 crosses into Minnesota via the John Blatnik Bridge.

The U.S. 53 and U.S. 12 single-point urban interchange, on the border between Eau Claire and Altoona, became Wisconsin's first and won awards ^[2] in 2005 and 2006. This section of a new U.S. 53 bypass was opened mid-morning on August 21st, 2006.

[edit] Minnesota

U.S. 53 enters Duluth via the John Blatnik High Bridge and is co-signed with I-535 for 2.8 miles. After its junction with I-35, U.S. 53 continues through Duluth on the recently upgraded Piedmont Avenue and Trinity Road for 3.5 miles.

U.S. 53 then overlaps State Hwy. 194 for 6 miles, from Trinity Road to Lindahl Road in Hermantown. This four-lane stretch of Highways 53 and 194 are also known as the Miller Trunk Highway in the cities of Duluth and Hermantown.

From Hermantown, the route proceeds north to the city of Virginia then northwest to International Falls. The portion of the route from Duluth to Virginia is a 4-lane expressway.

A section of U.S. 53, from north of the city of Virginia to Cook, is under construction. This is part of a long range goal of providing a 4-lane highway to Canada as part of the Falls-to-Falls Corridor.

A portion of Highway 53 is officially designated the Voyageurs Highway. The Voyageurs Highway is a state designation that is also applied to various other state highways in Minnesota.

The Minnesota section of U.S. 53 is defined as Routes 106, 11, and 315 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.115(37), (246), and 161.114(2). ^[3][4]

The U.S. 53, I-35, and I-535 interchange in Duluth is known locally as the "Can of Worms" and features a pair of left exits from I-35, a stoplight, and lane drops over the I-35 bridge. ^[5]

[edit] See also

• List of U.S. Routes

[edit] References

Browse numbered routes
< WIS 52	WI		WIS 53 >
< US 52	MN		TH 54 >

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