(June 1999-July 1, 2003)

NORTH End [NORTH segment]: Stop sign, US 218/IA 27, Henry/Washington county line

Facing north on 424

Photo by Jason Hancock

The dark pavement in the lower left corner marks the old 218 pavement as new concrete curves to connect the old route to the new one. Notice 218 MM 57 hanging around.

Facing south on 218

Photo by Jason Hancock

The intersection is that of an east-west road on the county line, hence Henry-Washington Road.

Facing south on 218

Photo by Jason Hancock

The freeway has MM 58 here, while on the original route this was approximately the place of MM 57.

Facing southwest

Photo by Jason Hancock

Almost immediately, 424 turns south back onto the old alignment.

SOUTH End [NORTH segment]: Intersection, IA 78, Henry County

Unlike nearly every other situation where a highway is shifted onto a nearby freeway upon completion, the DOT has left IA 78 right where it was on 218's old alignment instead of moving over a quarter of a mile. Because of the non-shift, 424 is broken in two, with a 1½-mile gap in between.

When I first put this page up, I noted that I didn't know why this situation existed. Now I think I do: Keeping 78 on the old alignment cuts down on traffic making left turns on 218/27 at either intersection, because 78 traffic will go straight across at the south intersection. Also, it saves money because the north intersection doesn't need a full complement of lights like the state highway intersection.

Facing south on 424

Photo by Jason Hancock

To the right, a short paved section of 115th Street connects to 218/27, and signs direct you that way to get to the expressway. Notice that it is still the east-west traffic that stops.

Facing southeast

Photo by Jason Hancock

NORTH End [SOUTH segment]: Intersection, IA 78, Henry County

Facing south, but heading east, on 78

Photo by Jason Hancock

The light poles are indicative of a once-important intersection.

Facing south, but heading east, on 78

Facing east on 78

Photo by Jason Hancock

The intersection comes up awfully quick after you turn.

SOUTH End [SOUTH segment]: Dead end, Swedesburg, Henry County

Facing south on 424

Photo by Jason Hancock

This is on the stub visible on the PDF map above. It only goes as far as the last house.

Facing west

Photo by Jason Hancock

The "Stop Ahead" is for 424 on this piece connecting old and new 218. Swedesburg is straight ahead.

Why 424?

The number didn't make sense for two reasons: It should have been a 900-series route - since 1997 many if not all(!) of the numbers assigned to unsigned routes seem arbitrarily and randomly selected, and IA 424 never made sense in the first place - there was a real IA 424, a spur to Britt, but for reasons unknown the DOT skipped all odd numbers in the 420s on the first go-round; 419 was the last odd one but numbers went up to 428. In addition, there was a secret IA 421 to the northeast of here after a US 61 bypass, but that was actually created AFTER 424 was, and the number discontinuity still makes no sense.

Pictures by Jason Hancock: All except eighth, 5/18/03

Eighth picture by me: 6/16/06

Page created 12/15/03; last updated 9/16/06

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