Highway Page Updates — 2006 (January-June)

June 23: Even more updates from Jeff Morrison's recent research:

• IA 33 was designated December 10, 1930, from Le Mars to Alton, and was extended from Alton to Sheldon on January 7, 1931 (both based on meeting minutes, and researched through newspaper articles from Le Mars, Alton, Sibley, Sheldon, and Sioux City). Also, IA 9 was realigned from Ocheyedan to Spirit Lake in November 1930 (Sibley Gazette).
• Although the extension of US 55 from Dubuque to Davenport was approved on June 8, 1931, US 55 signs did not replace IA 99 (I) signs until August (Bellevue Herald). The number for IA 99 (II) was approved at the July 8 meeting. Meanwhile, the map dated June 1, 1932, did not show a completed US 55 between Dubuque and IA 117 near Sabula. The August 1 map did not show it between Dubuque and Bellevue, while the September 1 map showed the entire route.
• Designation dates were added for highways 209 through 245, all of which were commissioned between January and July 1931. In all cases, the designation dates listed are the dates that the Highway Commission approved the meeting minutes which the highways were assigned to. Articles in the Toledo Chronicle (January 15) and the Sidney Argus-Herald (June 25) were also referenced.
• A new listing was added for IA 241 (I), a very short-lived highway in Council Bluffs that was renumbered IA 192 within a month.
• Other changes based on Highway Commission meeting notes from January through July 1931:
• On January 7, the extension of IA 2 (I) to Muscatine was approved.
• Changes approved on January 8: IA 4 (I)'s extension between Schaller and Storm Lake, IA 43's extension to Ringsted, IA 85's extension from What Cheer to Montezuma, IA 88's extension north of Bondurant, and IA 115's extension from Story City to Roland.
• On February 8, IA 16 was rerouted to go through Stockport and Hillsboro.
• On May 27, IA 37 was extended from Dunlap to Earling, IA 46 (I) was extended from Bagley to Perry, and IA 150 (III) was created.
• Changes approved on July 8: IA 12's extension from Akron to Hawarden, IA 22's extension westward toward Thornburg (eliminating IA 181 (I)), IA 38's extension to Center Junction, IA 60's extension from Goldfield to Wesley, IA 118's extension from Pine Creek State Park to Steamboat Rock, and IA 136's extension to Onslow (IA 136 was extended to Wyoming, not Onslow, in 1930). Also, IA 48 was officially extended from Red Oak to Griswold on that day (Griswold American article also referenced)
• IA 155 (I) was decommissioned April 16, 1931.
• This update is based on a 1940s Highway Commission book that had hand-drawn maps of each highway: IA 150 was given its number on June 9, 1941 (even though it was not signed until September according to previous newspaper research), while IA 84 (II) was designated September 7, 1943. The same map book had IA 150 ending at the foot of the Centennial Bridge in Davenport when it was designated.
• Jeff has also put up a new page on his site showing maps of four-lane divided highways over the years.

June 20: More updates from Jeff Morrison's recent research:

• These items focus on changes in 1930, based on items that he found in copies of the Highway Commission's meeting minutes from that year in the Iowa DOT's library. He also consulted weekly paving maps that were published in the Cherokee Daily Times during that era.
• For IA 168 through IA 178 (except for 174), I added designation dates based on the dates that the Commission approved the minutes for the meetings in which the appropriate number was assigned.
• The current IA 16, IA 66 (II), IA 153 (II), IA 261, and highways 180 through 208 were officially added to the state highway system on December 1, 1930, even though the numbers were assigned before that. For these roads, I listed December 1 as the date of designation in addition to the dates that the numbers were approved by the Highway Commission.
• Several other changes to state highways were also made that day, including:
• IA 10's extension from Edgewood to Luxemburg
• IA 17 (I)'s extension from Estherville to the Minnesota state line
• IA 46 (I)'s extension from IA 25 to Bagley
• IA 78's extension east of Wayland
• IA 96's extension west of Gladbrook
• IA 137 (I)'s extension from Humeston to Lucas
• New listings were also added:
• IA 150 (II) was a short-lived spur from Schleswig to Denison that was superseded by an extension of IA 21 (I).
• IA 169 was the first number assigned to what would become IA 173; the Commission was forced to change its number because of US 169.
• IA 192 (I) was a connecting road between US 75 and IA 141 via Sloan and Hornick.
• In addition, IA 196 was intended to be a spur from Williams to US 20 as part of a proposed relocation of US 20, but the relocation was never made. This is mentioned in the current IA 196 listing since this road never existed.
• Other items verified from newspaper research:
  • US 275 was signed on November 2, 1931 (Hamburg Reporter)
  • IA 1 replaced IA 139 (I) in December 1929 (West Branch Times).
  • IA 4's realignment in July 1930 (Carson Critic)
  • The current IA 139 replaced IA 130 (I) in April 1930 (Howard County Times of Cresco), while IA 27 (II) was replaced by IA 130 (II) that same month (Cherokee Daily Times paving maps).
  • IA 188 (I)'s designation was mentioned in the Dyersville Commercial; IA 197 (I) in the Stratford Courier, and IA 174, 183, 184, 186, and 191 in the Sidney Argus-Herald (191 was also mentioned in the Harlan Republican)

June 14: First of many updates based on research that Jeff Morrison did at the Iowa DOT library in Ames last week:

• I changed the designation years for all highways under 107 from 1920 to 1919. Although it is possible that the highways were not signed, the first state highway map was published in 1919, which was also the year that the Iowa General Assembly passed the law creating the primary road system. (The Discovering Historic Iowa Transportation Milestones booklet notes this as well.) Highways 1 through 101 appeared on the first map, while 102 through 107 appeared on the 1920 map.
• I also updated the paving histories for each highway between 1919 and 1926 based on those maps. Maps from that era showed road conditions as of January 1 of that year, so if a paved segment appeared on the 1924 map, I treat it as having been paved in 1923.
• According to maps, IA 5 (I) and IA 40 (I) ran on opposite sides of the Cedar River between Cedar Falls and Waterloo than successors US 20 and US 218 did, even though the Highway Commission's Bulletin for the fall of 1925 stated that US 20 would replace all of IA 5, and US 218 would replace all of IA 40.
• IA 13 originally ended at McGregor, and was extended toward Waukon by the end of 1919. In 1924 it replaced IA 51 north of Waukon to the Minnesota border.
• IA 23 went into South Dakota, and IA 34 crossed the Combination Bridge into Nebraska, so I noted that US 20 and IA 141 replaced parts of both routes.
• Redundantly-multiplexed segments of IA 57 and IA 58 were dropped in 1924, and a redundant multiplex for IA 101 was dropped in 1922.
• US 30 was realigned in Tama in August of 1931 instead of October (correcting a previous research finding).
• Unrelated findings from my end:
• IA 17 was paved from Webster City to County Road D41 in 1974.
• The four-lane US 169 opened south of Fort Dodge on November 19, 1990, while IA 7 was shortened and IA 926 was created on the same day that US 20 opened (follow-up from last week's update)
• The relocated US 61 along West River Drive in Davenport opened November 14, 1958 (Davenport Morning Democrat). A page detailing the history of highway alignments in Davenport, similar to the pages for Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, is coming later this year.

June 6:

• While in Iowa City over the past weekend, I did a little research and found out that US 20 opened in the Fort Dodge area on December 7, 1990 (Fort Dodge Messenger), and US 61 and IA 22 switched routes between Muscatine and Davenport on October 23, 1958 (Muscatine Journal).
• I-80 exit 168 is currently closed for construction related to the Iowa Speedway, while I also noted signage changes for US 63 exit 196 (spotted by Jeff Morrison) and US 30 exit 254.

May 26:

• The Avenue of the Saints (US 218/IA 27) in Iowa has been completed, as the last segment between IA 2 and IA 16 opened on May 23. The DOT has launched an official site, www.iowasaints.com, about a three-day dedication event in cities along the Saints between June 16 and 18.
• Matt Kono notes that the new Diamond Jo Worth Casino is now signed at I-35 exit 214.
• I-235 has two more exit numbers now (11 and 12), and since the majority of exits are now numbered, I added the implied exit numbers for the other interchanges that are not yet numbered. (Once these exit numbers are signed, I will remove the parentheses.)

May 21:

• The University Avenue exit on I-235 has reopened.
• Jeff Morrison found out that IA 12 was extended from Akron to Hawarden at a Highway Commission meeting on April 15, 1931. (Alton Democrat)

May 14: Recent research findings from Jeff Morrison:

• IA 13 bypassed Elkader, extending IA 56, on November 30, 1982 (Clayton County Register, Elkader)
• IA 32 (II) became IA 86 in February 1981 (Spirit Lake Beacon)
• IA 64 and IA 117 were both designated on December 11, 1936, and IA 64 was originally intended to be a route between Cedar Rapids and Chicago, thus creating a previously-unknown multiplex with US 161/151 during its first three years. (Maquoketa Sentinel)
• The IA 70 bypass of Columbus Junction opened December 2, 1994 (Columbus Junction Gazette).
• IA 72 was extended from Dows to I-35 on July 1, 1980 (Dows Advocate).
• IA 85 was extended from What Cheer to Montezuma in December 1930 (What Cheer Patriot-Chronicle)
• IA 96 was extended westward from Gladbrook on September 3, 1930 (Tama Northern of Gladbrook)
• IA 105 was turned over to Worth and Mitchell counties on December 31, 1992 (Northwood Anchor).
• IA 212 was designated from Dysart to Belle Plaine in January 1931 (Belle Plaine Union).
• IA 243 (I) was decommissioned on July 1, 1980 (Kingsley News-Times).
• IA 247 was created out of a US 30 realignment in July 1931. A realignment of US 30 in Tama that took the highway off the Lincoln Highway Bridge was completed in October 1931. (Tama News-Herald)
• Part of IA 301 in Little Sioux did not become County Road F20 after decommissioning, but city streets instead (recent road trip)

May 7: I updated the I-235 exit list to note that the Guthrie Avenue exit is closed through the summer and that the downtown exit ramps for eastbound traffic are now signed (albeit through temporary construction signs) as Exits 8A (7th Street) and 8B (3rd Street).

April 30:

• US 18 has been rerouted through Charles City as a way to reduce the amount of traffic at the intersection of South Main Street and Gilbert Avenue. Instead of following IA 14 into downtown, it now follows US 218 for an additional four miles before entering Charles City along the former IA 162. (News coverage: Charles City Press, April 21.)
• Changes to Freeway Junctions:
• After a road trip through southwest Iowa last week, I have now driven on every mile of Iowa's Interstate highway system. With that, I created five new exit lists: I-80 in western Iowa, I-29 in northwest and southwest Iowa, I-129/US 20/US 75 in Sioux City, and I-680 in Iowa. I also renamed the three existing I-80 lists and the I-35 in southern Iowa list.
• A new interchange with US 20 and Ansborough Avenue in Waterloo is currently under construction.
• The Avenue of the Saints north list has been updated to reflect the US 18/218 change in Charles City. (I am guessing what's on the signs based on the information given in the Charles City Press articles, so if the actual signs are different than what's listed, please let me know.)
• Jeff Morrison reported that a new traffic signal on US 151 near a new Wal-Mart in Marion is now in operation.
• Recent research findings from Jeff Morrison:
• IA 136 was extended from Onslow to Cascade in 1936 (Cascade Pioneer), and it replaced IA 188 (I) from Cascade to Luxemburg on January 1, 1938; IA 188 (II) replaced IA 151 on the same day. (Dyersville Commercial)
• IA 139 was extended from Cresco to Protivin on June 5, 1935 (Cresco Plain Dealer)
• I also rewrote the commentary on IA 165 after driving Iowa's shortest highway during last week's trip (but no photos, unfortunately, since it had gotten dark by then).

April 11:

• Jeff Morrison's research findings for this week:
• US 218 opened between the Waterloo Airport and Greenhill Road in October 1989 (Waterloo Courier)
• IA 58 was realigned, replacing IA 134 (I), in the summer of 1930 (Hardin County Ledger).
• IA 140 was extended from Kingsley to IA 3 on July 1, 1980 (Kingsley News-Times).
• IA 141 was realigned in the Coon Rapids area in September 1951 (Coon Rapids Enterprise).
• The first segment of IA 143 was paved in 1937 and decommissioned south of IA 3 in July 1961 (Marcus News).
• IA 175 was created as a spur from US 65 to Hubbard in October 1930, and it was extended to Radcliffe on December 1, 1930 (Hardin County Ledger).
• IA 214 and IA 215 were added to the state highway system in January 1931 (Grundy Register and Hardin County Ledger)
• One research finding of my own: the US 34 freeway through Burlington opened in three parts, with the last phase opening November 10, 1976. (The Hawk Eye, Burlington)
• US 275, along with IA 2, is going to bypass Sidney by the fall of 2006.
• I added a link to the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce's information page on IA 100, which predicts that the highway will open to traffic in 2016.
• Photo Gallery caption update: The blank sign on northbound US 218 at IA 27 (as seen on the Avenue of the Saints page) is no longer blank, according to Mark Odor.

April 2: Jeff Morrison's research findings for this week:

• I merged the IA 58 and IA 58 (I) listings, as it turns out that IA 58 replaced IA 90 (II) in March 1932 but was not replaced by IA 57 west of Grundy Center
until August of that year. Jeff created some maps that illustrate these changes. (Grundy Register, Grundy Center)
• IA 102 (I), IA 172, IA 267, IA 295, and IA 296 in Fayette County were decommissioned on July 1, 1980. (Fayette County Union, West Union)
• IA 149 replaced IA 150 (I) in March 1930. (Marengo Pioneer-Republican)
• IA 175 was extended westward to Jewell in October 1935 (Jewell Record), to Stratford in August 1937 (Stratford Courier), to US 71 in October 1940 (Stratford Courier), and to Onawa in January 1948 (Odebolt Chronicle and Ida County Pioneer-Record). It was straightened south of Gowrie during the summer of 1953 but a date could not be confirmed (Gowrie News).

March 28: Jeff Morrison's research findings for this week:

• US 6 was moved onto I-80, IA 148 was extended, and IA 176, IA 322 (II), and IA 414 were all decommissioned in July 1972. (Adair News). (IA 83 was not extended right away, though, as the 1973 map showed the former US 6 between as an "unnumbered primary" road.)
• Changes affecting US 52, US 55, US 63, US 65, US 69, and US 163 appeared on state highway maps beginning December 1, 1934, so that is the date I will recognize. (several sources, including the Decorah Public Opinion)
• IA 15 (I) officially became US 69 on May 4, 1935. (Ames Daily Tribune-Times)
• IA 64 was relocated between Neola and Harlan, affecting IA 39 (I), IA 83, and IA 191, on August 12, 1959. (Avoca Journal-Herald and Harlan News-Advertiser)
• IA 163 opened around Prairie City on September 3, 1998 (Prairie City News), around Monroe and Otley by the end of July 1999 (Pella Chronicle), and between Pella and Oskaloosa on September 30, 1999 (Oskaloosa Herald)
• IA 188 was extended from Plainfield to Clarksville on August 3, 1949 (Plainfield News).
• IA 210 was extended (and IA 89 (II) decommissioned) in November 1980 (Madrid Register-News)

March 19:

• Jeff Morrison's research findings for this week:
• IA 21 was extended and IA 77 was truncated on the same day that IA 108, IA 159, IA 180, and IA 304 in Keokuk County were decommissioned: August 26, 1980. (Sigourney News-Review)
• IA 333 was shortened for the first time on November 1, 1964. (Hamburg Reporter)
• IA 346 was designated in September 1937 (Nashua Reporter), and IA 349 was designated in November 1937 (Indianola Tribune).
• One research finding from my own, which follows up on Jeff's earlier research: the US 20 bypass of Sioux City opened, and IA 12 was extended, on June 29, 1979. (Sioux City Journal)

March 12:

• The 2006 state transportation map is online now, and I noticed that these unsigned roads are now under local control (i.e., they appear as gray lines on the map instead of black lines): IA 254 (III) in Nashua, IA 342 (II) in Eddyville, IA 404 (II) in Alton, and IA 460 in Donnellson (it's still a black line through Argyle). There is also an unsigned state highway between Danville and West Burlington (old US 34), but its number is not known yet. Also, IA 438 in Mount Pleasant has been truncated, according to the Iowa DOT's PDF map of Mount Pleasant; it now consists of only a short segment that connects the off-ramps from southbound US 218 with the US 34 north bypass.
• This week's research findings from Jeff Morrison:
• IA 100 (II) was the original replacement for IA 92 when it was rerouted on June 23, 1958. Yet the second IA 100 may have been the shortest-lived highway in Iowa history, as it was renumbered IA 414 a month later to avoid confusion. (Griswold American, Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, and Atlantic News)
• IA 333 west of US 59 was given to the state in 1980 as part of a failed attempt to give two other state highways to Fremont County, and the state was forced to keep the road after the county passed a resolution. (Hamburg Reporter). Before that, IA 333 between US 59 and the Fremont/Page County line was given to Fremont County in 1970 (1970 and 1971 state highway maps).
• IA 399 was actually a north-south highway even though state maps appear to show it as east-west. (1958 Linn County map)

March 5: This week's research findings from Jeff Morrison:

• The first contracted segment of the Interstate Highway System in Iowa was in Sioux City: I-29 between Hamilton Boulevard and Gordon Drive, which opened December 15, 1957. However, there is some uncertainty over whether this was signed as I-29 right away, so I listed this under US 77 instead.
• Speaking of US 77, the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Sioux City opened to two lanes on January 15, 1981, and to four lanes on July 22 of that year. I looked in the book Sioux City History: 1980-2002 by Marcia Poole, and found out that the bridge had to close after less than a year after a crack was discovered in the girder. The US 77 listing and Sioux City photo page were both updated to reflect this.
• US 61 bypassed Keokuk in August 1959, and was rerouted between Fort Madison and Montrose (creating IA 404) in September 1960 (Keokuk Daily Gate City).
• US 65/US 69 opened to four lanes between Des Moines and Indianola on December 4, 1971 (Indianola Record-Herald).
• IA 92 was realigned east of Oskaloosa, creating IA 426, on September 10, 1960 (Oskaloosa Herald).
• IA 411 was indeed designated as a way for the state to build a new bridge across the Iowa River at Marengo. It was extended southward to US 6 in 1960 before the segment in Marengo was turned over in 1966. (Marengo Pioneer-Republican) After that, it was demoted to an "unmarked primary" road which appeared on maps until 1976.
• IA 422 was created after a minor US 169 realignment opened on August 11, 1964 (Algona Upper Des Moines).

February 28:

• I added terminus photo links for Business US 34 in Mount Pleasant, Business US 151 in Cascade and Monticello, and Business US 218 in Mount Pleasant.
• More research findings from Jeff Morrison:
• Tolls ended on the I-680 Mormon Bridge on April 21, 1979 (Sioux City Journal).
• The relocated US 6 opened in Council Bluffs on December 3, 1968 (Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil).
• The Julien Dubuque Bridge (US 20) opened August 31, 1943 (Dubuque Telegraph-Herald), and the four-lane US 20 segment between Sioux City and Moville opened November 16, 1964 (Sioux City Journal). However, he was unable to find an exact date for the freeway in Sioux City, narrowing it down to the spring of 1979.
• The four-lane US 30 opened between Nevada and Colo in October 1998 (Nevada Journal).
• The four-lane US 61 segment north of Maquoketa opened October 5, 1999 (Maquoketa Sentinel-Press).
• US 65 was relocated between Colo and Des Moines (and IA 117 was shortened) on September 11, 1940 (Collins Gazette).
• The four-lane US 75 opened between Merrill and Hinton on November 10, 1949; between Sioux City and Hinton on December 8, 1949 (Hinton Progress and Le Mars Globe-Post); and between Le Mars and Merrill on June 24, 1957 (Le Mars Globe-Post). This makes the Merrill-Hinton segment the oldest four-lane expressway in Iowa.
• US 151 and IA 64 were relocated around Anamosa (and IA 428 (I) was created) in November 1965 (Anamosa Eureka).
• The relocated US 169 opened north of Fort Dodge (while IA 320 was extended and IA 413 created) on November 18, 1960 (Fort Dodge Messenger & Chronicle).
• IA 12 was relocated from Westfield to Sioux City on October 10, 1957 (Le Mars Sentinel).
• IA 29 was renumbered as IA 7 (III) in November 1957 (Le Mars Sentinel).

February 12:

• I finally caught up with my Photo Gallery backlog:
• The Avenue of the Saints page has 17 new photos, including several before-and-after photos of Mount Pleasant signs that were updated when the new US 34 opened.
• The Lincoln Highway page has three new photos.
• The County roads page has one new photo.
• The Central Iowa Odds & Ends page has 10 new photos plus 14 photos in Decatur County that were previously on the 2003 roadgeek meet trip page.
• The Eastern Iowa Odds & Ends page has one new and one replaced photo.
• More research findings from Jeff Morrison:
• US 34 in Ottumwa was relocated west of Church Street on July 9, 1964, and east of US 63 on September 12, 1967 (Ottumwa Courier).
• US 59 was moved between Defiance and Harlan in two segments, with the second opening on July 12, 1971 (Harlan News-Advertiser).
• US 63 was relocated north of downtown Ottumwa on September 24, 1957, while the Wapello Street viaduct opened on September 4, 1964 (Ottumwa Courier).
• US 71 was relocated south of Sac City on March 26, 1935 (The Sac Sun, Sac City) and bypassed Storm Lake on November 19, 1996 (Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune). It also opened to four lanes between Milford and Spencer on November 23, 1992 (Spencer Daily Reporter and Milford Mail).
• IA 2 bypassed Clarinda in two segments, on September 4, 1972, and September 18, 1973, the latter with US 71. (Clarinda Herald-Journal)
• IA 111 was decommissioned on January 1, 1991 (Britt News-Tribune)
• IA 196 was added to the state highway system on April 9, 1935 (The Sac Sun, Sac City)

February 5:

• Photo Gallery update: I added five photos to the County Roads page, and I replaced one photo on the Bridges of the Mississippi page, as the Sabula-Savanna Bridge has been repainted blue.
• Lots of new newspaper research findings from Jeff Morrison:
• US 169 officially replaced IA 16 (I) on October 23, 1930 (Fort Dodge Messenger & Chronicle, Bancroft Register, Perry Daily Chief, Humboldt Republican, and others)
• US 34 was:
  • Rerouted from Plattsmouth, NE, to Glenwood in September 1935 (Glenwood Opinion-Tribune)
  • Rerouted from Albia to Ottumwa on October 15, 1962 and from IA 68 to Albia on October 27, 1964 (both in the Monroe County News).
  • Rerouted between Hastings and Corning in three phases in November and December 1965 (Red Oak Express and Glenwood Opinion-Tribune)
  • The four-lane US 34/US 275 opened May 24, 1974, but that segment opened to two lanes on January 26, creating IA 949 and IA 978 and lengthening IA 385.
• The Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge (US 6) in Bettendorf was dedicated on November 18, 1935 (Des Moines Register)
• US 59 was realigned between Oakland and Emerson in September 1938 (Red Oak Express)
• US 63 was relocated south of US 34 in Ottumwa on September 2, 1966 (Ottumwa Courier); the relocation south of Ottumwa into Davis County still occurred in 1965.
• US 275 was designated and IA 4 (I) was rerouted in November 1931. (Hamburg Reporter and others)
• The IA 3 (I) bridge to Nebraska was dedicated on October 17, 1930 (Afton Star-Enterprise and Creston News-Advertiser)
• IA 184 (I) was designated on November 1, 1930 (Creston News Advertiser)
• Jeff also called the DOT's district office in Sioux City and was told that IA 60 between Alton and the south end of the future Sheldon bypass opened to four lanes in December.

January 29: Photo Gallery update: I added or replaced five photos on the Iowa City page, five photos on the Cedar Rapids page, and three photos on the Mason City page.

January 22:

• I tweaked the title page by cropping the welcome sign photo and changing the message below the title.
• Jeff Morrison found realignment months for US 18 and US 75 in 1930 from the Inwood Herald.
• Photo Gallery update: I added or replaced 30 photos in the Des Moines page. This includes new photos of I-235 that were taken over the last few weeks to show everyone how the reconstruction project is progressing.
• I ran out of disk space while trying to upload the Des Moines photos, so I deleted the roadgeek meet photos from 2003 and moved the Bridges of the Mississippi page from the iowahwypix site to the iowahwypix2 site. Some of the photos on the roadgeek meet page (primarily those of I-35 and US 69 at the Iowa/Missouri border) will be added to the Odds & Ends section in the future.

January 19: More new unsigned highways, found after the DOT put 2005 PDF maps of each county on iowadotmaps.com:

• The old US 63 in Eddyville is now IA 342 (II).
• The old IA 60 in Alton is now IA 404 (II).
• The old segments of US 218 and IA 394 through Donnellson and Argyle are now IA 460.
• Meanwhile, I had to "resurrect" a listing that had been decommissioned. IA 296 (II), a former IA 28 segment in Norwalk, still appears on the Polk and Warren county maps. (IA 102 in New Sharon and IA 107 in Thornton and Meservey are still maintained as state highways in those cities, but since the signs were removed, I list them as decommissioned roads.)

January 8:

• After calling the DOT, Mark Odor found out that unsigned IA 331 (II) was transferred to local control sometime last year, but IA 431 (II) in Le Grand is still under state control for now. He also found out that old US 34 in Batavia is IA 340 (II).
• I noted in the About This Site page that all exit lists that are linked from the highway listings are on Freeway Junctions of the Heartland unless otherwise noted. While at it, I added links to Highway Hotspots' lists (which list services at each exit) to the I-29, I-35, and I-80 highway listings and to all I-35 and I-80 exit lists.

January 1:

• I updated the Highways of Cedar Rapids page to link to a 1945 photo that Dale Sanderson found of the Waterloo, Cedar Falls, & Northern Railway's depot in Cedar Rapids with old US 151, IA 64, and IA 149 shields. I also added a link to a 1919 Des Moines map at the University of Texas' map collection from the Highways of Des Moines page; although that map does not include exact routings of highways of that era, it does give a general idea on what streets the early primary roads entered and left the city on.
• Two minor Photo Gallery updates: I replaced two photos on the Dubuque photo page and added a link to John Weeks' Upper Mississippi River Bridges page from the Mississippi River Bridges photo page.

Past updates:

• 2005 (second half)
• 2005 (first half)
• 2004 (second half)
• 2004 (first half)
• 2003 (second half)
• 2003 (first half)
• 2002 (second half)
• 2002 (first half)
• 2001
• 2000

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