November 23, 2012: This BGS on eastbound US 20, marking the north end of an extended IA 196, will end up with a service period of about 3½ years. The new BGS will have US 71 and Carroll.
Weather conditions at the end of last year prevented the full reconstruction (all new roadbed, wide shoulders) of IA 196. Next week, the highway will close until May 9 for completion of the project. When that is done, US 71 will be rerouted onto IA 196 and US 20 while the road through Early becomes IA 471. The end of 196 will leave only IA 202 in the span from 192 to 210; before the Great Decommissioning of 2003, all but four of the 17 numbers in between were active.