Author Archives: Jeff

May 25

Notes on 2023-27 highway plan

(I almost typed 1923-27. Shows how much I’m looking into that era right now.) The Iowa Transportation Commission’s five-year plan is out, with a font change, mixed-case type, comma separators, no mileages listed (again!) and occasionally a more informal style … Continue reading

Posted in Construction, Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Notes on 2023-27 highway plan
May 23

Marion-area construction updates

An update and new notice (via a weekend roadgeek meet) about projects near Marion: Linn County’s oldest active bridge is going to be replaced, as this blog post covered earlier. But there’s good and interesting news: The bridge isn’t being … Continue reading

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Marion-area construction updates
May 20

North Tama plans revealed during building tour

It’s happening? Maybe? After a few votes and an extra $31 million? Whatever the step or two is after “commencing to proceed to get started,” that’s where North Tama is right now in a master plan that would radically alter … Continue reading

Posted in Schools, Tama County | Comments Off on North Tama plans revealed during building tour
May 18

More about Mount Ayr Community schools, 1957-61

October 17, 2021: The chimney of the Beaconsfield school building is visible at a distance. It’s about all that’s readily visible up close, too, because the deteriorating building is hidden in a grove of trees. In a follow-up to this … Continue reading

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on More about Mount Ayr Community schools, 1957-61
May 16

US 63 closure scrambles routes to Traer

Starting next week, according to a DOT press release, US 63 will be closed between IA 8 and IA 96. It’s for a (very needed) asphalt resurfacing project and discussed more in this blog post. Toledo-Gladbrook traffic is fine, but … Continue reading

Posted in Construction, Tama County | Comments Off on US 63 closure scrambles routes to Traer
May 11

$4.049

May 19, 2004: My first encounter, but not first payment, of $2 gas in Iowa was at this station at the Lime Springs corner on US 63. I managed to avoid that mark for another 10 months. I’ve been keeping … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on $4.049
May 09

IA 8 in Tama County to close for months

Hey, remember this post? I didn’t! But now it’s here: Starting today, IA 8 between Traer and IA 21 is closed through at least late July for culvert construction (news tip: KCRG). The official detour is D65 through Buckingham. The closure … Continue reading

Posted in Construction, Tama County | Comments Off on IA 8 in Tama County to close for months
May 06

A nearly complete timeline of Southeast Valley

The Southeast Valley school district, which will become official in mid-2023, can trace its history to 1914. One of the first experiments in school consolidation, to be tried in this part of Iowa, will be at the town of Lanyon, … Continue reading

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on A nearly complete timeline of Southeast Valley
May 04

Southeast Valley consolidation effective in 2023

The Prairie Valley and Southeast Webster-Grand school districts started whole-grade sharing as Southeast Valley in 2014. Almost a decade later they will be officially consolidated. Although the vote was March 1, the merger won’t go into effect until 2023, based … Continue reading

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Southeast Valley consolidation effective in 2023
May 02

US 30 coalition unhappy with Super-2 plan

Central and eastern Iowa counties that are not on the present four-lane section of US 30 are very determined to get on it, and won’t take any half-measures. From “The Center Square”, a news organization focused on “state- and local-level … Continue reading

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on US 30 coalition unhappy with Super-2 plan