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Most of the Charles City bypass was open as of September 2, 2000 (when most of the photos under this heading were taken), but Exit #212 was not. Construction of a connecting road between the bypass and old US 218 (renamed Business US 218) along Floyd County Road B35 was underway at the time, so the exit was closed to traffic even though all of the signs were up. Hence, the exit signs had to be covered (they were obviously taken down after the interchange opened). This sign is on westbound US 18/northbound US 218.
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This sign is north of the exit. On this sign, only the exit tab and county road
marker were covered; the orange tab reads "USE NEXT EXIT" to access Business US 218.
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Approaching the exit from the north, the barricades were up and most of the gore
sign was covered, but the exit number was uncovered. The road was still two lanes at
this point, as the divided highway did not begin until a point south of the exit.
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The highways are the same and the control cities are the same, but the
exit numbers were different when the bypass opened. The sign on the top was on northbound US 218 and used that highway's mile numbering, while the sign on the bottom was on eastbound US 18/southbound US 218 and used US 18's mile numbering. (In most cases, mile numbering on multiplexed US highways follows those of the lowest-numbered route. The rule also applies to most multiplexed Interstates, although I-80 where it joins I-29 and I-35 is the most noteworthy exception.)
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After US 18 was rerouted around Charles City in April 2006, the signs were changed so that the exit number was the same in both directions. The signs were also replaced with new signs using the Clearview font — the first spotted freeway exit signs to use this new font.
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This green junction sign was put up on IA 14 after the bypass opened, but IA 27 was
designated a year later. Rather than modify this sign, the DOT put a separate "JCT"
sign next to it. (Update: Jeff Morrison visited the area in March 2003 and noted that
the sign has been replaced with a new sign that has all three highway markers. See his
Business US 218 page for a photo.)
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This photo along northbound IA 14 showed that this route was not
shortened when US 18 was re-routed, but US 18 was added as a second number instead. IA 27 was later added, and in April 2006, US 18 was rerouted around Charles City to enter the city from the south. IA 14's northern terminus remained at Business US 218 until it was extended to the relocated US 18 at the same time that US 18 was relocated, creating a situation where northbound IA 14 ran southeastward for its last few blocks.
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On the other side of US 218, this blurry photo showed that Detour Business US 218
(the sign on the left) temporarily followed northbound IA 14 and eastbound US 18 until the northern connection with the bypass was completed. Today, IA 14 is signed by itself again, just like it was before the bypass opened.
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Before US 18 was rerouted, the south bypass interchange was signed as County Road T64 northbound and Business US 218/County Road T64 southbound, for Charles City. A secondary sign for New Hampton also existed for northbound traffic. After the reroute, the signs were replaced to add US 18 and the destination of New Hampton. The exit was also renumbered (although this time, US 18's exit numbers were used in both directions), and the new signs are also in the Clearview font.
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The exit tabs on the gore signs at this interchange were also replaced with larger tabs, with the exit number in Clearview as well.
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A new expressway segment south of Plainfield opened in July 2002 while the Plainfield bypass itself opened in November 2002. The Nashua bypass, which completed the link between I-35 and US 20, opened a year later.
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Plainfield
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Grading work on US 218 between Waverly and Plainfield, looking northward, in September
2001.
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This is looking west on IA 188 at Plainfield, which was closed in the fall of 2001 to
build an overpass over the new US 218.
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US 218 grading was visible behind the fences surrounding the football field at
Nashua-Plainfield Middle School in 2001.
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In July 2002, a five-mile segment opened between a point south of Plainfield and the
north end of the Waverly bypass. This was after traffic was detoured onto IA 3, IA 188,
and County Road T64; after this segment opened, US 218/IA 27 traffic was detoured onto
IA 188, County Road V14, and IA 346 between Plainfield and Nashua.
Looking northward, US 218 traffic merged onto the old roadway just south of Plainfield.
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A view from the future interchange with IA 188, looking northward...
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...another view, looking southward...
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...and another view, looking eastward. Although the interchange had yet to open,
signage was already up — but what gives with the jumbo IA 188 markers?
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Signage for the IA 188 interchange, looking northward, taken shortly after the bypass opened.
Clarksville also appears on the sign heading south.
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As of November 2002, the four-lane segment ended at mile marker 213, just north of the IA 188
interchange. It was extended northward a year later.
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Washington County and northern Henry County
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The end of the expressway near Crawfordsville in September 1998,
where the divided highway ended and the speed limit dropped from 65 to 55
MPH. The two lanes south of this point were already graded but had yet
to be paved when this photo was taken.
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A couple of photos of construction progress in Henry County,
taken in September 1998. Both of them were taken south of the village of
Swedesburg (in the background of the top photo), with the new southbound
lanes on the left and the newly resurfaced, soon-to-be-northbound lanes
on the right in both photos.
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By November 1998, traffic had been moved onto what will eventually
become the southbound lanes while the northbound lanes were being worked on.
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This was at the future intersection with IA 78, south of Olds
(the town in the background), also taken in November 1998.
The ten-mile segment from Crawfordsville to County Road H28
opened to traffic by early June 1999.
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Looking south at the junction of IA 78 east of Olds in July 1999.
Despite the bypass, IA 78 continues on its old alignment through Olds (where it
previously shared about a mile with US 218).
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This is what the sign assembly in the above photo looks like in March 2002, after
IA 27 was designated.
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This is looking west on IA 78.
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The end of construction in September 1998...
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...and the end of the expressway in July 1999. Since then an
additional three-mile extension running southward from here to the beginning
of the future Mount Pleasant bypass had opened to traffic as of October 2000.
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Mount Pleasant
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Here is where the expressway ended in November 2000. This is just
north of the intersection with Iowa Avenue, which becomes Broadway Street and then
Jefferson Street in Mount Pleasant as it runs toward the town square.
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Grading continued southward, where construction of the Mount Pleasant bypass began.
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Fast-forwarding to May 2001, here is where the bypass will separate
from the existing alignment of US 218. The overpass in the background (near the water
tower) is for a ramp that will merge into northbound US 218 from the existing road.
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These overpasses over US 218 are temporarily for access to the current route,
but they will eventually be part of the US 34 northern bypass of
Mount Pleasant which is scheduled for completion in 2004. US 34 will merge with US 218
at this point and separate from it at the interchange with the existing US 34 east of town.
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Grading for the future interchange of US 218 and US 34, a five-ramp partial cloverleaf,
looking to the northwest.
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US 34 looking west toward the city of Mount Pleasant. This is where the overpasses
for US 218 would be, even though they didn't exist in this May 2001 photo.
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This is looking northward from the future south end of the Mount Pleasant bypass.
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The next six photos was taken on July 31, 2001, on my way from Cedar Rapids to
St. Louis.
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Here is a closer view of the overpass at the north interchange.
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Looking eastward via US 34, the overpasses have been put up at the future
interchange with the Mount Pleasant bypass. US 34 was also being widened to
four lanes from this point eastward to connect with the New London bypass
that opened in 2000.
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Same interchange, looking west.
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The southernmost of the three interchanges, at Walnut/255th Street, was completed by this
time and US 218 markers had already been put up when this photo was taken. But since the
bypass hadn't opened yet, they were covered up. IA 27 markers were also added after that
number was designated.
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A view of the Mount Pleasant bypass, looking north from the Walnut Street overpass...
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...and looking south toward the point where it would re-join the existing US 218.
At the time the bypass opened, the ramp onto southbound US 218 ended at a stop sign rather
than a merge.
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This September 2001 photograph shows the future interchange with present US 34,
looking northward from a new overpass.
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A month later, some big green signs started to appear on US 218 and US 34.
Although there's a bag on top of it, you can tell that the control cities at
US 34 are going to be Iowa City and Keokuk...
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...but lo and behold, this next sign showed US 34 exiting from itself!
The DOT jumped the gun here, but they took US 34 and the Ottumwa control city off
this sign before the bypass opened. (They were put back on the sign after the US 34 bypass opened in August 2005.)
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Most of the Mount Pleasant bypass opened on December 19, 2001. The north interchange and the northbound lanes between that point and US 34 opened in July 2002. Unless otherwise noted, the next set of photos were taken on December 22, 2001. Follow-up photos of signs that were updated after the US 34 bypass opened were taken on November 23, 2005.
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This view is looking northward from the south end of the bypass toward the interchange with 255th Street. The four-lane highway ended here until June of 2005, when it was extended southward to IA 16.
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Advance signage for the US 34 interchange, looking northward. The overpass in the
background is actually a walkway/bike path connecting the Linden Heights neighborhood
with East Lake Park.
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Signage at the US 34 interchange in December 2001. The orange tab on the middle reads "34 WEST,".
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By November 2005, the sign in the middle had been replaced with a sign showing a newly-designated Business US 218. The old US 34 became Business US 34 after the bypass opened in August 2005, but signs along US 218 only indicate Business US 218.
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This distance sign north of US 34 has a lot of green space above the distance for Iowa City.
Green space was common on several signs along the bypass, but it was there for a reason;
the signs were made with the future US 34 bypass in mind.
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When the US 218 bypass opened, I guessed that the distances for Fairfield and Ottumwa would be on that sign. I was right. North of here, a supplementary sign for the north interchange (future US 34 west) was blank when the new US 218 opened, save for an "EXIT 45" before it. "Fairfield" was placed on that sign once the US 34 bypass opened.
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Signage for the north interchange in December 2001, which was closed at the time because the ramps to Grand Avenue
(old US 218) hadn't been finished yet. After the north bypass opened, westbound US 34 splits from US 218/IA 27 at this interchange.
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The same sign gantry, in November 2005.
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These overhead signs are on westbound US 34 approaching the bypass.
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Same gantry, in November 2005. The green space on the sign on the right was filled in, while the sign on the left was replaced with two separate signs.
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These signs are on eastbound US 34. During construction of the bypass, the highway
markers were turned over so the backsides of them faced the driver. Also, there had been
a "TO" banner above US 34, but it was taken down before the bypass opened. (An
"EAST" banner was eventually added in its place.)
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By November 2005, however, the signs at this interchange were rearranged.
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This February 2002 photo shows the reason why all of the bypass didn't open in December —
the connection between the new southbound lanes and the existing US 218 wasn't completed yet.
Construction was finished in July 2002.
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Here's a close-up of the sign gantry in the above photo, as of March 2002. Lo and behold, US 34 was on there already, and it was not removed when the southbound lanes opened.
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When US 34 opened, however, the sign on the right was replaced anyway, with one showing US 34 and Business US 218. (Photographed by Jeff Morrison)
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Speaking of jumping the gun... this is a view of the US 34 north bypass looking eastward from Broadway Street in
March 2002. Although construction west of Broadway had yet to begin at the time this photo was taken — big green signs are already up at the future interchange with the Avenue of the Saints.
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Drivers would not see these signs until the US 34 bypass opened in August 2005. The exit tab was added by the time the bypass opened.
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The US 218/IA 27 bypass opened to one lane of southbound traffic in March 2002. With Exit 45 still
closed in order to finish the ramps, orange logo signs were put up at Exit 42 for businesses
that would otherwise be served by Exit 45. In the background you can see the loop ramp to
US 34. After Exit 45 opened, they were replaced by standard blue logo signs.
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This is the gantry for the US 34 exit from southbound US 218/IA 27. Although it's
hard to tell in this photo, there is an orange "WEST" panel below the "EAST"
on the US 34 exit sign (even though the "EAST" could have been removed entirely
until the north bypass opened).
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For comparison purposes, here's what the gantry looked like in 2005. The "WEST" panel was stripped off, and there is no indication of neither Business US 34 nor Business US 218 for southbound traffic at this exit. (Photographed by Jeff Morrison)
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This green junction sign and sign assembly is on eastbound 255th Street approaching the
interchange with the bypass.
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Donnellson area
Grading work on the Donnellson bypass and a widened IA 394 began in mid-2001, and the
bypass opened to traffic in February 2004. All IA 394 signs were removed after the bypass
opened. At the time of its opening, only the segment between IA 2 and the US 218/27 split was four lanes.
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This is IA 2 east of Donnellson, looking eastward, in March 2002. Overpasses for the
bypass were already in place, and grading work on an interchange here was in progress.
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View from the same area in December 2006. Note the lack of mileage figures on this green sign. (Photographed by Jeff Morrison)
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This was a view of US 218 from March 2002, looking southeastward from a point near the split. Construction of an overpass, which now carries IA 27, was in the early stages here.
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Fast-forwarding to April 2004, this view from southbound US 218/IA 27 shows that the four-lane Donnellson bypass segment beginning just north of the IA 2 interchange. The bypass itself begins north of County Road J56, but only two lanes of traffic were open at the time.
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Exit signage for IA 2.
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Here is a closer look at the gore sign in the previous photo. Note that the exit tab is
(1) aligned to the right instead of the center, and (2) larger than most exit tabs. All
gore signs on the Donnellson bypass are like this.
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St. Louis is a destination for many Iowans, but it has never made it onto a single sign
in the state — until now. It is signed at this interchange, where US 218 and IA 27 finally
split after 95 miles together south of Cedar Rapids. With the decommissioning of IA 394, IA
27 is now a standalone highway for its last ten miles in Iowa.
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This is unprecedented: a former state highway designation was added to the sign on the left by mid-2005. While IA 27 replaced the general route of IA 394, the real former IA 394 can be accessed by exiting and going straight after crossing US 218. (Photographed by Kurt Berge; close-up photo by Jeff Morrison)
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Only 200 miles to the Gateway City!
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The four-lane ended at this interchange, and the bypass funneled down to two lanes before ending south of County Road J62. Heading north from IA 27, the US 218 interchange is Exit 10 — using IA 27's mile numbers — instead of Exit 18 (thus, US 218 exits from itself heading south). And as of December 2004, the sign on the left was blank for some reason!
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Mark Odor reported in April 2006 that "NORTH US 218/IA 27, Mount Pleasant." was put on the blank sign. Here is a photo of that sign, taken around sunset.
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This was what the intersection of US 218 and IA 394 (its former north
end) looked like heading south on US 218 in August 2001. With the opening of the bypass,
this sign has been taken down...
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...but a similar sign was put up on northbound US 218 in 2004. Argyle and Wayland are south of here, but you have to head north for a little bit to get there. This is because a right turn puts you onto a loop ramp that merges onto southbound IA 27.
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This April 2004 photo is looking north at what used to be IA 394's north end. The off-ramp from southbound US 218/IA 27 and the on-ramp to southbound IA 27 both connect with the old IA 394.
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South of Donnellson
Work to widen IA 27 between the split with US 218 and the Des Moines River bridge was completed on August 25, 2005. The new four-lane bridge across the Des Moines River opened on December 8, 2004.
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This view near Argyle in Lee County is looking south. The future northbound lanes were being used for head-to-head traffic as of April 2004, and a left-turn lane had already been built.
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The roadway on the left of this April 2004 photo is the old IA 394, which eventually became IA 27's southbound lanes. The roadway on the right is the new IA 27, which eventually became the northbound lanes. This is south of Argyle. (IA 394's old pavement had been removed by December.)
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Junction sign for the completed IA 27 at County Road J62. The Des Moines River is nine miles away from this point. (Photographed by Jeff Morrison)
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This April 2004 view of IA 27's south end showed the old (left) and new (far right, behind the trees) bridges across the Des Moines River. With the designation of MO 27, there is no longer any "END" signage at the state line.
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The old (foreground) and new (background) bridges are visible in this April 2004 photo
looking west from the shore at St. Francisville, MO. Although the new bridge is west of the
current alignment, most of the new MO 27 was built east of Missouri Highway B.
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The old bridge is also visible from the completed bridge, looking south. Although the bridge is rather plain compared to the old one, traffic runs a lot faster — the speed limit is 65 MPH, compared to 30 MPH on the old bridge.
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However, heading north, the four-lane road ended after only half a mile in December 2004. This photo shows the first IA 27 reassurance marker for northbound traffic.
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The old bridge across the Des Moines River was a privately-owned toll bridge. A few days before the new bridge opened, the toll booth in St. Francisville closed and was boarded up. However, the old bridge (as of December 2004) was not closed to vehicular traffic, and there are no current plans to remove the bridge.
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Missouri 27
A seven-mile expressway segment in northeast Missouri opened at the same time as the new Des Moines River bridge. This highway was numbered MO 27 to match Iowa's number for the Avenue of the Saints, but the MO 27 designation only goes as far south as the junction with US 61. From there, the Avenue of the Saints follows US 61 all the way to the St. Louis area.
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The first MO 27 marker is posted at the junction of Missouri B at St. Francisville. Missouri B has been realigned to run west of MO 27 (rather than through St. Francisville) before resuming its old alignment.
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Overpasses for a new interchange at US 136 east of Wayland, MO, were visible in this April 2004 photo. (Despite the signage, US 61 and 136 were not duplexed between Wayland and Alexandria.)
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This December 2004 photo — taken from about the same spot as the previous photo — shows the completed US 136/MO 27 interchange. Since the US 136 spur (which connected US 136 at Wayland with US 61) is closed to through traffic now, the US 61 sign has been taken down.
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Iowa City is the posted destination for northbound MO 27 at US 136. (Southbound, Hannibal is the posted city; St. Louis isn't even mentioned until US 61.)
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Exit signage for US 136 along southbound MO 27.
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North of the interchange, a distance sign listing two Iowa cities appears on MO 27.
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About halfway between US 136 and US 61, the four-lane highway ends for southbound traffic and MO 27 follows the old US 136 spur for its last mile. The Avenue of the Saints is two lanes from this point to Canton, which is about 20 miles south of here; completion of this expressway segment is scheduled for the summer of 2008.
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Looking north from this point, you can see the old US 136 spur (at the far left) and the first advance exit sign for US 136 (at the far right).
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MO 27 ends at the junction with US 61, which takes over the Avenue of the Saints route at this point.
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As this sign where the US 136 spur splits from US 61 shows, even the IA 394 markers in
Missouri have been replaced with IA 27 signs by April 2004...
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...but by December, a MO 27 sign had taken IA 27's place.
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This trailblazer in Wayland, which is a bit off the beaten path, was photographed in
April 2004 (after IA 394's decommissioning) and was still up in December — even though there was spray paint on the signs by then.
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