BUSINESS

NORTH End: Stop sign, US 151, Jones County

Facing northeast, but heading north, on Business 151

The north end of Monticello's business route does not have an interchange. Instead, it takes a sharp turn from old 151 to intersect the new four-lane ("Stop Ahead" is the shiny yellow thing in the background).

Facing south on 151 (2005 / 2007)

Left photo by Jason Hancock

Jason writes, "The sign in the foreground is similar to those used at other at-grade intersections along US 151 in Jones County, and there is a similar sign for northbound traffic, only there is no Business US 151 assembly or Kirkwood College LGS." The Kirkwood College sign was later modified to what's shown at right.

Facing south on 151

Photo by Jason Hancock

Facing southwest, but heading south, on Business 151

Photo by Jason Hancock

This strange 3-digit-wide shield (with 2-digit-wide numbers!) was replaced by summer 2005.

SOUTH End: Interchange, US 151 and X44, Jones County

Facing south on Business 151

Facing south on Business 151

The southernmost part of Business 151 doesn't use the old route but a fragment of X44. (I think there is an even older alignment of 151/161 to the west of here.) Unlike the north end, it is an interchange, though neither of the newer business routes on 151 (Monticello, Cascade) have "End" signs anywhere. Two miles north of here, at IA 38, distances to (downtown) Dubuque and Cedar Rapids are identical.

Facing north on Business 151

Photo by Jason Hancock

This is the first sign on northbound Business 151. It rejoins the old route a bit to the north.

Facing northeast, but heading north, on 151

Facing east, but heading north, on 151 (September 2004)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Recently, whenever a bypassed town has more than one interchange, there has been a tendency to put street names on the BGSs instead of the nearby town, even though the town may not be readily visible. Then the signs have to be fixed when the town complains. (The same thing happened on US 18 on the south side of Mason City and US 30 on the south side of Marshalltown.)

Facing east, but heading north, on 151 (April 2006)

Twenty months after the opening of the Monticello bypass, the little blue guide signs on the offramp are still blank. Why put them up in the first place if logo signing wasn't prepared?

Pictures by Jason Hancock: Second, 7/30/05; fifth, eighth, and tenth, 9/5/04

Pictures by me: First, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh, 8/9/07; ninth and eleventh, 4/18/06

Page created 2/12/06; last updated 11/9/07

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