Author Archives: Jeff

Jun 04

Four-lane US 30 in Tama County open

Posted on Friday, June 4, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Ten years and nine days after what I think is the first announcement about it, the new four-lane US 30 in Tama County from Tama to near IA 21 opened Thursday Wednesday*. (Story: Tama-Toledo News Chronicle) This is a complete shift … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Tama County | Comments Off on Four-lane US 30 in Tama County open
Jun 03

Dubuque highway chronology updated

Posted on Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

August 23, 2020: Southeast corner of the Southwest Arterial at US 61, looking northwest. Note the wrong-way multiplex. The city names look seriously undersized to me. I would’ve made them larger and put them on the same line (“Dubuque / … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Maps | Comments Off on Dubuque highway chronology updated
Jun 01

Notes on 2021 Iowa map

Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I guess Map Day is officially the Friday of Memorial Day weekend now. Here’s the big new PDF. Dubuque’s Southwest Arterial is marked on both the main map and Dubuque inset. IA 32 is dead, US 52 has been removed … Continue reading →

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May 28

Names are hard

Posted on Friday, May 28, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Traer Star-Clipper, September 26, 1930, notes added: New service station to open about Nov. 1 Wieck Bros. plan largest and best-equipped structure of its kind in town — work now in progress Rapid progress is being made on the construction … Continue reading →

Posted in Tama County | Comments Off on Names are hard
May 27

The unbelievable part of ‘Superman and Lois’

Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The whole super powers thing? I’m basically a Superman apologist (Synderverse excepted). Clark Kent at his gosh-darn-shucks-iest moving back to the family farm and town he loves? I will eat that up. Star reporter quitting in statement fashion in light of … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on The unbelievable part of ‘Superman and Lois’
May 26

Mocking Iowa’s 2020s congressional districts (4)

Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Census Bureau released its county-by-county estimates on May 4. By “released”, I mean “said in advance they would be available but I had to dig into nested folders and stumble on a straight-outta-1995 icon list that led me to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on Mocking Iowa’s 2020s congressional districts (4)
May 25

Casualties along the Tenderloin Trail

Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Iowa Pork dreamed up the Tenderloin Trail, a checklist of Iowa’s establishments serving the classic breaded tenderloin sandwich, in 2017. The checklist needs to be completed by July 1, according to Iowa Pork’s website. But not all the servers on … Continue reading →

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Casualties along the Tenderloin Trail
May 24

Niland’s is back, again, again

Posted on Monday, May 24, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Niland’s Cafe in Colo, a classic feature along the Lincoln Highway, has reopened for the second time in three years. The cafe closed in late 2018, then reopened in 2019, then closed again in mid-2020. Earlier this month it came … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Niland’s is back, again, again
May 21

Notes on 2022-26 five-year plan (2)

Posted on Friday, May 21, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Major and/or interesting things in the Iowa Transportation Commission’s five-year program, continued: New IA 9 bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing in 2024, but removal of the present one in 2026 (which, because all of these are fiscal years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Notes on 2022-26 five-year plan (2)
May 19

Notes on 2022-26 five-year plan (1)

Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 20, 2017: This intersection on the south side of Nevada will not be closed in 2023 in favor of an overpass between here and the S14 intersection in the deep background. UPDATE/CORRECTION 6/25/21: Current plans leave the intersection intact … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction | Comments Off on Notes on 2022-26 five-year plan (1)