Minnesota State Route 280
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| Basic data | |
| Overall length: | 4 mi / 6 km |
| Opening: | 1949 |
| Starting point: |
 I-94 in St. Paul
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| End point: |
 I-35W in Roseville
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| County: | Ramsey County |
| Important city: | Lauderdale |
Minnesota State Route 280 is a north-south trending state route on the western border of Ramsey County , Minnesota , which is four miles long. The highway is a short route between Interstate 94 in St. Paul , Minnesota and Interstate 35W in nearby Roseville and runs the entire length of the county. It's an important link because the intersection between the two interstate highways near central Minneapolis is n't a complete shamrock .
Highway 280 is a freeway-like street north of I-94 to East Hennepin Avenue / West Larpenteur Avenue, although the entrances and exits to and from Hennepin Avenue and Como Avenue are actually a bit too narrow. Further north there are two traffic light controlled intersections on County Road B and Broadway Street Northeast. The MN-280 / I-35W connection is incomplete because northbound traffic from the MN-280 cannot turn towards the southbound lane on the I-35W without using surrounding roads. The same applies in reverse between the north lane of the I-35W and the south lane of the MN-280.
Originally an extension to the west was planned for Highway 280, which should have led from south of the intersection with I-94 into Minneapolis and as a freeway approximately along 28th Street and further west to France Avenue South. This freeway was never built and the ramp stubs at the I-94 / MN-280 junction were demolished in the early 1980s.
On its way between St. Paul and Roseville, the highway passes the small town of Lauderdale . MN-280 runs against a slope here so that there is a good view of Minneapolis to the west, especially for vehicles traveling south.
The intersection between Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 in downtown St. Paul is not a complete intersection either. Ayd Mill Road has a similar function for Highway 280, although it is not developed like a motorway and has no direct connection to I-94.
Because of the collapse of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River Bridge on August 1, 2007, Highway 280 was signposted by the Minnesota Department of Traffic as an official diversion route and temporarily converted into a fully-fledged freeway with the interchanges County Road B, Broadway, Walnut and Roselawn have been banned. I-35W crosses the Mississippi River to a new bridge on the I-94.