Author Archives: Jeff

Dec 14

Another Exit Zero

I am a fan of Exit Zero. Not everyone is. Mile markers begin at the south or west terminus of a route or the state line. When the route has an interchange at that terminus, it should follow that the … Continue reading

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Dec 13

Albion school is gone

August 10, 2008: Cornerstone of the Albion school, Marshall County. I couldn’t tell you how many times I passed by the Albion school building on the way to/from Ames or Des Moines and beyond. It was such a fixture that … Continue reading

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Dec 12

Final leg of IA 100 opens today

As many as 15,000 vehicles per day are expected on the new 1.3-mile segment of Highway 100 in northeast Cedar Rapids which opens at 11 am Wednesday. The $3.2 million highway is an extension of Collins Road NE, connecting Interstate 380 and Edgewood Read NE. The … Continue reading

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Dec 11

San Antonio-Austin suggestions

January 25, 2012: Reconstructed boyhood home at Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historic Park near Johnson City, Texas. Let’s say you’re an Iowa State fan who is going to the Alamo Bowl, but don’t want to be among the crowd who have … Continue reading

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Dec 10

Warren County Courthouse: Everything must go

Everything not nailed down, and some things that are, at the Warren County Courthouse in Indianola will be auctioned off Dec. 14. (Link: KNIA/KRLS, but tipped off on WHO.) The 1939 courthouse will be replaced next year. Warren County is … Continue reading

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Dec 07

Dubuque Southwest Arterial update

Between this story from KWWL and a video from the city of Dubuque, we can see that the Southwest Arterial is making progress. The related project on US 20, an intersection with the new Menards frontage road and Old Highway … Continue reading

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Dec 06

Casey’s popping up in more Iowa towns

May 7, 2018: Just inside the city limits of Lone Tree is a brand new Casey’s. This photo was taken for my IA 405 page. Iowa’s homegrown gas station chain, Casey’s, is marking its 50th anniversary this year. In the … Continue reading

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Dec 05

A glutton for punishment contemplates another helping

The Iowa State women are playing at Iowa tonight, and I must decide whether to return to the Carver-Hawkeye House of Horrors. Yes, I engaged in this internal debate four years ago too. In the 11 games in Iowa City in … Continue reading

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Dec 04

The US 20 reroute that wasn’t

The 1931 Iowa highway map includes an explosion of highway numbers across the state, in what I call the First Great Commissioning. Many of the routes that died in either 1980 or 2003 trace their history to this time. But … Continue reading

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Dec 03

IA 100 ceremony coverage

I admit, I wasn’t there, but with the weather the way it was I can’t say I’m too disappointed in missing out. KCRG has a story about the IA 100 ribbon cutting and ceremonial ride/walk along the new segment. The … Continue reading

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