Author Archives: Jeff

Jun 28

More detailed US 30 corridor study released

July 6, 2013: Clarence is the only town between Missouri Valley and besides Clinton in eastern Iowa where US 30 still runs through its heart. How long will that remain the case? Upgrading US 30 to four lanes between Lisbon and De … Continue reading

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Jun 27

DOT’s document portal redesign has some bugs

It’s entirely possible that the number of non-Iowa DOT employees who regularly visit the online construction plans archive can be counted on one hand. (The link only works if you make sure the www is at the beginning.) But, as … Continue reading

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Jun 26

Photo 34,998

June 22, 2017: The Iowa Welcome Center outside Missouri Valley is Lincoln Highway-themed. Included near the recreation area is a ground-mounted map of Iowa with the Lincoln Highway represented as a raised line across the state. 2017 was full of … Continue reading

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Jun 25

Missouri makes clinching US 61 more difficult for me

June 23, 2014: Facing south, but heading north, on US 61 at I-55, Scott City, Missouri. US 61 in Missouri is two very different highways. North of St. Louis, it is part of the Avenue of the Saints, a project that … Continue reading

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Jun 24

A note on Hampton-Dumont-CAL

I hope the superintendent of the district with the high school in Hampton won’t mind me lifting from the school’s November/December 2018 newsletter (PDF) regarding the status of naming things in light of CAL sending its junior and senior high … Continue reading

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Jun 21

Whataburger edged closer to Iowa

The news last week that famous Texas restaurant chain Whataburger has been sold by the founding family to an investment firm, and associated hand-wringing about what an expansion could do to quality, made me think of a blog post I … Continue reading

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Jun 20

South Page edges closer to Clarinda

The Clarinda and South Page school boards have approved a sharing agreement that will allow students from the latter to take classes at the former, KMA reports. A story from the Clarinda Herald-Journal says the deal also includes “educational services.” Note that I … Continue reading

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Jun 19

Arkansas does something quasi-competent for US 63

October 19, 2016: BGS for the newly christened I-555 in Arkansas, as seen from US 61 where it parallels I-55. This website has complained rather vociferously about the tragedy of US 63 in Arkansas — ever since putting up a … Continue reading

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Jun 18

Yale round gym added to National Register

Stories: WHO (above); Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (via Des Moines Register) Yale High School ended in 1961, in a reorganization that created Yale-Jamaica-Bagley. In 1961, those three schools graduated nine, 16, and seven seniors, respectively (Guthrian, May 16, 1961). … Continue reading

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Jun 17

I-80 plan puts double roundabout at Hoover exit

Roundabouts are bad enough, but a double roundabout at a diamond interchange is perhaps the stupidest construction “innovation” of the past decade. Wisconsin adores them; the new(ish) US 12 from Baraboo to Wisconsin Dells is infested with such pairs. This … Continue reading

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