U.S. Route 61 in Iowa
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North end | US 61 / US 151 at Dubuque | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Iowa | |||
Counties | ||||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Highway 61 (US 61) is a
The route that would become US 61 was organized as a branch of the Burlington Way. Then in 1920, the
Through the mid-1990s and early-2000s, road construction projects consisted of
Route description
US 61 and
Four interchanges provide access to Fort Madison from the west and north.
Shortly thereafter, the highway turns to the northeast and passes by Wever, where it meets the eastern end of Iowa 16 and crosses the Skunk River. The road then turns north and enters the Burlington area. The highway roughly separates Burlington to the east and West Burlington to the west. An interchange with US 34 and Iowa 163 is the only intersection with a numbered highway in the Burlington area.[2][3]
North of Burlington, US 61 heads north and slightly northwest. It passes through Dodgeville and Mediapolis. Shortly after crossing into Louisa County, it meets the eastern end of Iowa 78 east of Morning Sun. The highway crosses the Iowa River just north of Wapello. At Grandview, US 61 is joined from the west by Iowa 92.[2][3] The highways then continue north then turn to the northeast to descend onto Muscatine Island, a sandy plain known for growing conditions ideal for melons, particularly muskmelons.[4]
On the southwestern edge of Muscatine, US 61 and Iowa 92 turn off of the highway onto a bypass of city.
US 61 continues to the northeast along a four-lane expressway; two exits provide access to
Heading north again, US 61 travels along a freeway that passes
The highway heads to the north-northwest as it snakes around Welton and a collection of houses that built along the old roadway. West of
Now in Dubuque County for the rest of its journey through Iowa, US 61 still follows a largely due-north course. It passes the Dubuque Regional Airport shortly before descending a long hill and meeting US 151 at a trumpet interchange. US 151 joins US 61 from the southwest where it leads to Cascade and Cedar Rapids. Shortly thereafter, the two highways come to an interchange with US 52. The Southwest Arterial expressway opened in 2020. The three highways enter the Dubuque area together and the city begins to build up around the roadway. US 52, which provides access to the Mines of Spain and the Julien Dubuque gravesite monument, exits the other two highways on Dubuque's south side. US 61 and US 151 continue north into the heart of Dubuque.[2][3]
As they descend into Dubuque's
History
What is now known as US 61 has been used, under various names, for over 100 years. The route was first organized as a branch of the Burlington Way in 1916 during the
In 1931, the
As the
Burlington Way
Mississippi Valley Highway | |
Location | Burlington to Cresco |
Length | 409 mi (658 km) |
Existed | 1916–1926 |
The Burlington Way, also known as the Orange and White Way,
In early 1917, two men, one of whom designated himself a promoter and the other a supervisor, filled out the registration paperwork with and paid the $5 fee (equivalent to $119 in 2023
At their annual meeting held in September 1919 at
Primary roads
Location | Keokuk to near Cresco |
---|---|
Length | 324 mi (521 km) |
Existed | 1920–1926 |
In 1919, the
U.S. Highway origins
In the mid-1920s, automobile associations continued to sponsor their named routes—there were 64 such named routes in Iowa—on top of the route numbers given by the state highway commission. This proved to be more confusing than helpful to the casual traveler, so in 1924, the
Upon designation, the only rural portions of US 61 that were
Early upgrades
Work began in the 1950s to modernize Iowa's highway system, mostly by straightening and widening the original highways built in the 1930s.
In
A bypass of Keokuk was also considered in early 1957. The highway commission wanted to remove truck traffic from Keokuk's downtown area. Area businessmen felt moving US 61 away from the city center would divert revenue to neighboring states. They were also concerned by the plan to make the bypass access controlled. The businessmen thought that by limiting where vehicles could enter the bypass, the potential for commerce would also be limited.[44] The local concerns here did not dissuade the highway commission as land for the bypass was purchased in August 1957.[45] The Keokuk bypass opened to traffic in late 1959.[46] The old routing of US 61 through Keokuk remained on the primary highway system. The state highway commission ruled in 1957 that US 61 and US 218 were to follow the bypass around the city meaning maintenance of Main Street would revert to the city. The state reversed their decision in 1959 shortly before the bypass opened and left US 218 on the original routing.[47][48]
Kerrigan Road
By the 1950s, traffic from the four U.S. Highways that entered Dubuque from the south were creating traffic issues on Rockdale Road. Officials sought to remedy traffic by building a four-lane road from
Between
At Dubuque, the new road to Maquoketa connected to Kerrigan Road near Key West. Plans in 1964 called for the four-lane road to be extended south toward the Dubuque Municipal Airport. An interchange was to be built just north of the airport which would allow US 151 to follow the four-lane road south from Kerrigan Road to the interchange.[56] Twelve miles (19 km) of highway in Dubuque County were slated to be paved in 1965 while in Jackson County preparations were being made to pave 15.5 miles (24.9 km) the next year.[57] South of the interchange, US 61 was a two-lane road to Maquoketa. Climbing lanes were installed as necessary to allow safe passage around slower traffic. The new road shaved two miles (3.2 km) off of the trip between Dubuque and Maquoketa by bypassing small towns and eliminating sharp curves along the way. Travel times between the cities was reduced from 45 minutes to 30 minutes. It opened to traffic on December 11, 1967.[58]
A month after the new road opened, city officials in Maquoketa complained about US 61 motorists running a
Freeway construction
The segment of US 61 from Davenport to Dubuque, sometimes labeled "Iowa 561" or "US 561", was to be built up to
In the early 1980s, the City of Davenport and the Iowa DOT agreed to split a $1.3 million fund (equivalent to $3.69 million in 2023 dollars
Muscatine bypass
In Muscatine, the fiscal crunch of the 1970s and early 1980s kept a project to re-route US 61 around the city on a semi-permanent delay. DOT officials promised the project would happen, but a lack of funding prevented the project from beginning. In addition to inflationary pressures, the DOT cited the financial woes were compounded by increased use of
The project was divided into two segments. As the road was going to have distinct north–south and east–west sections, there was a natural split point for the two sections. Grading work began on the north–south section in 1982 and paving was scheduled to occur the next year.[73] Mother Nature, however, had other plans and many days of work in 1982 were lost to rain. The weather delays pushed back the construction timeline enough that only a few weeks of grading work remained on the entire route at the end of 1983.[74] Paving work occurred through mid-1984, but was temporarily halted by rains in October. The project finally opened to traffic on December 13, 1984, at a final cost of $13.3 million (equivalent to $33 million in 2023[14]).[75]
US 61 and US 151 in Illinois
Location | East Dubuque, Illinois |
---|---|
Length | 3.32 mi (5.34 km) |
Existed | 1971–1982 |
In May 1969, the US 61 and US 151 were routed off of the Eagle Point Bridge in Dubuque. Bridge inspectors discovered that the main spans of the bridge were not as structurally strong as they should have been. The bridge's weight limit was reduced from 10 to 4 short tons (8.9 to 3.6 long tons; 9.1 to 3.6 t), which effectively banned all semi-trailer truck traffic. Furthermore, the 1970 Wisconsin state highway map did not show the bridge at all and the Iowa highway map only listed it as a toll bridge. The bridge company and local police asked Iowa and Wisconsin highway commissioners to reconsider their decisions to remove highway signage from the bridge. Public confidence in the strength of the bridge waned after the U.S. Highways were removed.[76]
Instead of traveling through downtown Dubuque via Central Avenue, White Street, and Rhomberg Avenue to the Eagle Point Bridge, US 61 and US 151 turned east onto Dodge Street and followed US 20 across the Julien Dubuque Bridge into East Dubuque. Immediately upon landing on the Illinois side of the river, the two highways exited US 20 and followed Wisconsin Avenue and Illinois Route 35 north into Wisconsin. The two highways traveled 3.32 miles (5.34 km) in Illinois. Upon opening of the new bridge in 1982, they were pulled out of Illinois and back through Dubuque to the Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge. The new bridge entered Wisconsin about one-half mile (800 m) north of the Illinois–Wisconsin state line. After the new bridge opened in August 1982, the Eagle Point Bridge was closed. It was later mostly demolished with explosives in December 1982.[77] The former alignment of US 61 along E. 20th Street and Rhomberg Avenue remained in the state highway system long after the demolition of the Eagle Point Bridge. A DOT review of maintenance agreements in 1992 led officials to discover that the state still owned the former US 61, then known as the unsigned Iowa 924. Ownership of the former highway was transferred to the City of Dubuque effective March 9, 1993.[78]
Fort Madison bypass delayed
Through Fort Madison, the highway followed narrow city streets and a few 90-degree turns. Near the old Iowa State Penitentiary, there was a steep hill that ended at a three-way stop with a connection to the Fort Madison Toll Bridge. In the late 1960s and again in the early 1970s, the highway commission proposed widening US 61 through the city. The commission presented number of alternatives, most of which routed the highway through the southwestern portion of the city closer to the Mississippi River. To city leaders, this was the best option for serving the needs of businesses and local traffic. To residents of the zone through which the highway would pass, mainly African- and Mexican-Americans who were shunted to that part of town by discriminatory means, the plans represented continued discrimination. Over thirty percent of the residents who would be displaced by the highway were minorities, while minorities represented less than ten percent of Fort Madison's total population.[79]
Based on the success of
Dubuque connections
The new US 61 / US 151 bridge and its connection into Wisconsin were built as a four-lane freeway. In anticipation for future road works, the Iowa side of the bridge
Planning for the connection to Kerrigan Road began shortly after the
An elevated highway was chosen for the segment between downtown and the Mississippi River bridge for a number of factors. DOT engineers factored in the effect of the highway on stormwater collection and determined raising the highway would have the least detrimental effect. Additionally, heavy metals and coal tar found in the industrial land beneath the highway could be cleaned up without disrupting traffic on the highway.[83] Deck replacement on the Julien Dubuque Bridge that carries US 20 into Illinois for most of 1991 added another wrinkle to the construction project. The bridge was closed and its traffic was rerouted onto US 61 / US 151 between Locust Street and into Wisconsin, thence south on Wisconsin Highway 35 and Illinois Route 35 into East Dubuque, Illinois.[86]
Building the connection to Kerrigan Road were part of a wave of downtown renewal projects.
Four-lane construction
Road construction in the 1990s and early 2000s consisted of
One of the first segments of US 61 to be twinned in this round of construction was the section overlapped by US 218 near Keokuk. Governor Terry Branstad publicly stated his support for not delaying certain highway projects, a list of which included US 61 from Montrose to Fort Madison, while the DOT faced budget shortfalls.[96] Near Wever pottery fragments and arrowheads, signs of a Native American settlement, were found by crews surveying for the expansion project.[97] As segments of four-lane highway were opened to traffic, as the thirteen miles (21 km) between Fort Madison and Burlington did in August 1997, speed limits were raised from 55 to 65 mph (90 to 105 km/h).[98] Aside from the bypass of Fort Madison, the four-lane road was complete between Keokuk and Burlington in 2001.[99]
In
Road construction north of Maquoketa was split into two projects – one in Jackson County and the other in Dubuque County. Both projects were scheduled to be complete by the end of 1996.[103] Near Fulton, the Iowa DOT and a local family had a disagreement on the fair market value of 18.5 acres (7.5 ha) along US 61. The disagreement led to the condemnation of the property and the family's eviction.[104] Construction past
Between Blue Grass and Muscatine, the highway was garnering a deadly reputation. From mid-1999 to mid-2000, seven people died along a five-mile-long (8.0 km) stretch of two-lane highway between the two cities. Through Blue Grass, accidents were reduced by adding a
Davenport realignment
In 2010, in large part due to a pair of railroad bridges each with an 11-foot-8-inch clearance (3.56 m) in downtown Davenport, US 61 through Davenport was moved to Interstates 80 and 280. Between 1984 and 1990, there were 83 incidents involving vehicles at the Harrison Street bridge; most of which involved large trucks that misjudged the heights of their trailers. A study was conducted in 1991 to judge the viability of raising or replacing the bridge.[109] Ten years later, DOT officials sought $5 million (equivalent to $8.41 million in 2023[14]) to permanently fix the rail line while some city officials thought the low bridge kept out a significant amount of truck traffic from downtown Davenport.[110] Instead, an electronic vehicle height detection system was installed several blocks ahead of the bridge. The cost of the detection system was $103,000 (equivalent to $173,206 in 2023[14]).[111]
In 2010, Iowa DOT officials proposed rerouting US 61 out of downtown Davenport and along the Interstate Highways that surrounded the area:
Fort Madison construction at last
The Iowa DOT began anew its preparations for a bypass of Fort Madison in the late 1990s. This time, the road was to be built as a four-lane highway around the city. Only two routes were under consideration; the commission chose what was called the "far north alternative", though no timetable for construction was given at the time.[115] Work had been scheduled to commence in 2004, but the highway commission's five-year plan in 2002 pushed the work back to 2007.[116] During the lapse between the 1998 and 2005 highway bills, the Iowa DOT did not schedule any major projects, though it did make small right-of-way purchases which gave hope to local leaders that the project would come soon.[117] Finally, in 2005, highway commissioners scheduled the Fort Madison project to begin in 2009.[118] The 2005 highway bill earmarked $4.72 million (equivalent to $7.08 million in 2023[14]) for the bypass.[119] The DOT originally expected the project to cost around $45 million, but adjusted that figure up to $92 million in their 2006 five-year plan (equivalent to $65.4 million and $134 million in 2023[14]).[120]
Plans originally called for an interchange at the former
Recent developments
In the mid-2010s the process of four-laning US 61 between
Plans to complete the missing section of four-lane highway are underway. The highway will be reconstructed along most of the current path and interchanges will be built at Mediapolis and Wapello. The design of the road around Wapello angered some city and county officials. They wanted two interchanges, one north of town and the other south, for both safety and economic reasons. The local Iowa DOT engineer only included the northern interchange in plans.
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[131] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continuation into Missouri | ||||||
Missouri–Iowa state line | ||||||
US 61 Bus. north / Great River Road north – Keokuk | Northern end of US 136 and Great River Road overlap | |||||
3.817 | 6.143 | US 61 Bus. south – Keokuk | Southern end of US 218 overlap | |||
Montrose Township | 9.461 | 15.226 | US 218 north – Mount Pleasant | Northern end of US 218 overlap | ||
11.743 | 18.899 | Great River Road south (Mississippi River Road) | Southern end of Great River Road overlap | |||
Northern end of Great River Road overlap | ||||||
Iowa 103 | ||||||
23.780 | 38.270 | 24 | CR X32 – Iowa 88 | |||
26.658 | 42.902 | 27 | US 61 Bus. south / Great River Road south – Fort Madison | Southern end of Great River Road overlap | ||
Green Bay Township | 31.363 | 50.474 | Iowa 16 west to US 218 | |||
Des Moines | Union Township | 34.709 | 55.859 | CR X62 / Great River Road north (Summer Street) | Former US 61; north end of Great River Road overlap | |
Iowa 406 | ||||||
40.402 | 65.021 | US 34 / Iowa 163 – Illinois, Mount Pleasant | ||||
40.973 | 65.940 | Mount Pleasant Street | Former US 34 | |||
41.475 | 66.748 | Sunnyside Avenue | Former US 61 | |||
Mediapolis | 54.013 | 86.925 | — | CR H38 – Mediapolis | Future interchange | |
Louisa | Wapello Township | 59.695 | 96.070 | — | Iowa 78 west – Morning Sun | Future interchange |
Wapello | 66.227 | 106.582 | CR X99 (Franklin Street) – Oakville | Former Iowa 99 | ||
Iowa 252 | ||||||
Grandview Township | 75.059 | 120.796 | 76 | 170th Street – Letts | ||
US 61 Bus. north | ||||||
86.345 | 138.959 | Hershey Avenue | Two-quadrant interchange | |||
87.731 | 141.189 | Iowa 22 west – Nichols | Southern end of Iowa 22 overlap | |||
91.747 | 147.652 | Northern end of Iowa 22 and Iowa 92 overlaps | ||||
Scott | Blue Grass | 106.523 | 171.432 | 107 | Blue Grass | |
108.021 | 173.843 | 109 | Blue Grass | |||
US 61 Bus. north | Southern end of I-280 overlap | |||||
114.466 | 184.215 | 4 | CR F65 (Locust Street / 160th Street) – St. Ambrose University | |||
118.164 | 190.167 | 1 | US 6 east (Kimberly Road) / CR F58 west – Walcott | Southern end of US 6 overlap | ||
118.535– 119.319 | 190.764– 192.025 | 290 | I-280 ends I-80 west / US 6 west – Des Moines | Northern end of I-280 and US 6 overlaps; southern end of I-80 overlap | ||
121.750 | 195.938 | 292 | Iowa 130 west (Northwest Boulevard) – Maysville | |||
124.325– 124.751 | 200.082– 200.767 | 295 | US 61 Bus. south – Chicago | Northern end of I-80 overlap; signed as exits 295A (south) and 295B (north) | ||
Sheridan Township | 125.837 | 202.515 | 124 | CR F55 – Davenport Airport | Former US 61 | |
Eldridge | 126.895 | 204.218 | 125 | CR F51 (Blackhawk Trail) | ||
128.903 | 207.449 | 127 | CR F45 (Le Claire Road) | |||
Winfield Township | 131.685 | 211.926 | 129 | CR F41 – Long Grove, Park View | ||
Clinton | DeWitt | 139.553– 139.809 | 224.589– 225.001 | 137 | US 30 east – DeWitt, Clinton | Southern end of US 30 overlap |
140.721 | 226.468 | 139 | US 30 west – DeWitt, Cedar Rapids | Northern end of US 30 overlap; signed as exits 139A (west) and 139B (east) | ||
De Witt Township | 143.966 | 231.691 | CR Y68 | Former US 61 | ||
Bloomfield Township | 154.450 | 248.563 | 153 | Iowa 136 – Delmar, Lost Nation | ||
S. Main Street | Former US 61 | |||||
159.978 | 257.460 | 158 | W. Platt Street) – Anamosa | |||
Iowa 428 | ||||||
161.959 | 260.648 | CR Y53 – Hurstville | Former US 61 | |||
Fulton | 166.059 | 267.246 | Fulton Road | Former US 61 | ||
Dubuque | Table Mound Township | 184.535– 185.092 | 296.980– 297.877 | — | US 151 south – Cascade, Cedar Rapids | Southern end of US 151 overlap |
185.608 | 298.707 | 184 | US 52 north (Southwest Arterial) | Southern end of US 52 overlap | ||
Dubuque | 187.210 | 301.285 | Maquoketa Drive | Former US 61 / US 151 | ||
187.626 | 301.955 | US 52 south / Great River Road south – Bellevue | Northern end of US 52 overlap; southern end of Great River Road overlap | |||
188.959 | 304.100 | 187 | Grandview Avenue | |||
189.255– 189.499 | 304.576– 304.969 | 188 | To Locust Street ) | Northbound exit and southbound entrance only | ||
190.268 | 306.207 | — | To Locust Street Connector ) | |||
190.536 | 306.638 | 189A | White Street / Port of Dubuque | Northbound exit and southbound entrance only | ||
190.919– 191.063 | 307.254– 307.486 | 189B | 9th Street / 11th Street / Iowa 3 ; northern end of Great River Road overlap | |||
191.700– 192.411 | 308.511– 309.655 | 190 | Kerper Boulevard / Eagle Point District | Former US 61 / US 151 | ||
Mississippi River | 192.663 | 310.061 | Dubuque–Wisconsin Bridge; Iowa–Wisconsin state line | |||
Continuation into Wisconsin | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
Notes
References
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- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Google (January 26, 2018). "U.S. Route 61 in Iowa" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
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- ^ Welvaert, Brandy (July 31, 2009). "A little slice of Muscatine: Melons grown and ripened in Iowa are in season". Radish Magazine. Moline, Illinois: QConline.com. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
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- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission: 3–6. 1925.
- ^ a b Iowa State Highway Commission (1931). Iowa Has Stepped Out of the Mud (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- ^ a b Iowa State Highway Commission (1931). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 0-9623167-0-9.
- ^ Thompson (1989), pp. 218, 220
- ^ Thompson (1989), pp. 304–305
- ^ Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ "Burlington Way Section". Western Magazine. Vol. XIII, no. 3. March 1, 1919. p. 139. Retrieved January 28, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ Western Magazine (1919), p. 141
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "A History of the Burlington Way". Historic Auto Trails. Ames, Iowa: Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
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- ^ Western Magazine (1919), pp. 141–142
- ^ "'Burlington Way' is now 'Mississippi Valley' Road". American Motorist. Vol. XI, no. 11. December 1, 1919. p. 34. Retrieved January 28, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Iowa's new road law provides pay-as-you-go plan for improving and hardsurfacing 6,278 miles of highway". Service Bulletin Supplement March–April 1919. VII (3–4). Iowa State Highway Commission: 3. 1919. Retrieved May 15, 2016 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Iowa Registered Routes". Iowadot.gov. Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ a b Iowa State Highway Commission (1919). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission.
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- ^ a b Thompson (1989), p. 146
- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission (1927). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- ^ Iowa State Highway Commission (December 1932). State of Iowa Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Ames: Iowa State Highway Commission. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
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- ^ "Primary Route Descriptions–Iowa 998". Iowadot.gov. Iowa Department of Transportation. January 18, 1961. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ "Primary Route Descriptions–US 218". Iowadot.gov. Iowa Department of Transportation. October 21, 1959. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
- ^
- ^ Thompson (1989), pp. 249–250
- ^ "US 61 Dedication" (PDF). Iowadot.gov. Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ Cain, Patrick R. "Primary Route Descriptions – Unsigned Iowa 956". Iowadot.gov. Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
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- ^ Kinrade, Kathie (October 3, 1989). "US 61 welcomes nifty new name". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. p. 19. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. p. 1. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. December 5, 1982. p. 32. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- ^ Cain, Patrick R. (February 26, 1996). "Primary Route Descriptions – Iowa 924". Iowadot.gov. Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ – via Iowa Research Online.
- ^ a b c Meier, David (September 1993). "Local concerns key in Dubuque highway relocation". The American City & County. Vol. 108, no. 10. p. 61.
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- ^ Cain, Patrick R. "Primary Route Descriptions – Unsigned Iowa 946". Iowadot.gov. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Cain, Patrick R. "Primary Route Descriptions – Unsigned Iowa 959". Iowadot.gov. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Iutzi, Cindy (July 31, 2001). "Four-lane 61 to open Wednesday". Daily Gate City. Keokuk, Iowa. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Ickes, Barb (May 29, 2000). "Don't Blame the Bridge for Eating Trucks". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. pp. D1–D2. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 20, 2010). "US Route Numbering Report to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ Cowie, Cheryl. "Primary Route Descriptions – Unsigned Iowa 461". Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ Geyer, Thomas (August 31, 2014). "Low truck-eating bridge snares semitrailers". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Baksys, Gerry (December 11, 2003). "Approval of $200,000 raises officials' hopes of getting FM bypass sooner rather than later". Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Lamm, Tracey (October 5, 2005). "IDOT includes Highway 61 bypass in schedule". Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Baksys, Gerry (August 2, 2005). "Area officials predict changes with bypass". Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Benedict, Joe (November 30, 2006). "Work on US 61 bypass begins next year". Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Benedict, Joe (September 10, 2008). "Supervisors okay pact for US 61 FM interchange". Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Spees, Megan (December 30, 2011). "Bypass finally opens around Fort Madison". Daily Gate City. Keokuk, Iowa. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Benedict, Joe (March 29, 2010). "Residents briefed on FM bypass construction". Fort Madison Daily Democrat. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Tomkinson, Sarah (April 3, 2016). "US 61 upgrades in Fort Madison to start this year". The Hawk Eye. Burlington, Iowa. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Benedict, Joe (June 10, 2010). "Better, safer roads in Southeast Iowa". Daily Gate City. Keokuk, Iowa. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
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- ^ Meyer, Elizabeth (November 29, 2017). "US 61 4-lane expansion near Grandview should open Thursday, weather permitting". The Hawk Eye. Burlington, Iowa. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
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- ^ Rudisill, Jim (March 10, 2020). "Louisa County plans for the new Highway 61 changes". Muscatine Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ 2021–2025 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program (PDF) (Report). Iowa Department of Transportation. June 2020. pp. 61–62. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ESRI shapefile). Ames: Iowa Department of Transportation. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
External links
- The Freeway is Coming (Video). Dubuque, Iowa: Cable TV Division. 1989.
- Hwy 61/151 Update (Video). Dubuque, Iowa: Cable TV Division. 1990–2014.
- Lanes, Planes & Automobiles Update (Video). Dubuque, Iowa: Cable TV Division. 1988–1990.
- Withrow, Randall M. (2012). "The Wever Bypass Excavations" (PDF). Iowa Department of Transportation.