Highway 610 to become Hortman Memorial Highway
Gov. Tim Walz will dedicate Highway 610 in the north metro as the "Hortman Memorial Highway" at a 9 a.m. ceremony Thursday, renaming the 12-mile corridor in honor of the late former House Speaker Melissa Hortman.[1]
The renamed stretch runs from Highway 10 in Coon Rapids to Interstate 94 in Maple Grove, a key commuter route through the northern suburbs that was one of Hortman's signature infrastructure priorities at the Capitol.[1]
Lawmakers approved the naming earlier in 2026, passing a bill to honor Hortman after her death in June 2025, when she was killed before the final phase of Highway 610 opened to traffic in November 2025.[1]
Hortman, a Brooklyn Park Democrat, served as speaker of the Minnesota House and had long championed completing the Highway 610 connection between Coon Rapids and Maple Grove, arguing it would ease congestion and support growth in the north metro.[1]
By tying her name to the fully completed highway, state leaders are casting the corridor not only as a transportation link but as a visible legacy for a lawmaker whose work helped shape it and who did not live to see the final segment open.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Highway 610 runs 12 miles from Highway 10 in Coon Rapids to I‑94 in Maple Grove, serving north‑metro commuters.
- Gov. Tim Walz will dedicate the route as the 'Hortman Memorial Highway' at a 9 a.m. ceremony on Thursday.
- The Legislature passed a bill earlier in 2026 to rename the highway in honor of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was killed in June 2025 before the project’s final phase opened in November 2025.
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