October 8, 2004: Northbound former IA 181 at the junction of IA 5 and 92 south of Pleasantville, a year after the Pleasantville bypass opened and IA 5 was upgraded completely to four lanes between I-35 and Knoxville.
The Knoxville Journal-Express had a “from the archives” bit for Jan. 13, and it mentioned a meeting about the Pleasantville bypass 25 years ago — in 1992. The highway wouldn’t be upgraded for another 11 years beyond that, with the bypass finally opening in fall 2003. The “community was concerned,” the recap mentions, but it’s hard telling whether it was that or plain old bureaucracy that caused the delay.