Special Route and Bridge Designations

Iowa law currently permits special signs to be placed along the Primary Highway System for the purpose of designating a primary highway or bridge as a memorial highway/bridge, scenic trail or historic trail.

Rules 761-131.10 through 131.15(321) in the Iowa Administrative Code establish the requirements and procedures for special sign placement. These rules are administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation and the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

34th Infantry Division Highway (Red Bull Highway)

U.S. 34 in the state of Iowa is officially designated the Red Bull Highway in honor of the 34th Infantry (Red Bull) Division.

The 34th Infantry Division is a division of the United States Army National Guard that participated in World War I, World War II and continues to serve today, with most of the Division part of the Minnesota and Iowa Army National Guard. It holds the distinctions of being the first U.S. division deployed to Europe in World War II, and having spent more days in combat and having taken more enemy-defended hills than any other U.S. Army division in that war.

The 34th Infantry Division was inactivated on November 3, 1945. The division was reformed within the Iowa and Nebraska Army National Guards in 1946–7, but it disbanded again in 1963, being replaced in part by the 67th Infantry Brigade. It also retained its division headquarters as a command headquarters to supervise training of combat and support units in the former division area for some years.

The division was reactivated as a National Guard division for Minnesota and Iowa on February 10, 1991, upon the 50th anniversary of its federal activation for World War II. At that point the division transitioned into a medium division, with a required strength of 18,062 soldiers. The division's force structure was spread across seven states (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan).

The division was one of the first National Guard divisions to transform its component units to the new combat brigade structure. In 2005, it was ranked 1st out of eight National Guard divisions with regard to readiness indicators. The majority of the division's current 11,000 soldiers are located across two states — Minnesota and Iowa. The Minnesota Army National Guard provides the division headquarters, located in Rosemount, a southern suburb of the Twin Cities.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division served sixteen months in southern Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Due to the combat subdued version of the division patch they wear, they were nicknamed "The Desert Bulls".

The United States Army Rangers also trace their lineage back to the 34th Division. The modern incarnation of the Rangers were developed from 34th Infantry volunteers in Ireland under the command of Major William O. Darby. Of the original five hundred twenty WWII Rangers, two hundred eighty one came from the 34th Infantry Division.

Minnesota Army National Guard, headquarters of the 34th Infantry ‘Red Bull’ Division:

http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/units/unit_template.php?unit=PUNRR

34th Infantry Division Association: http://www.34infdiv.org

History of the 34th Infantry Division: http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/units/34id/history.php

Amana Colonies Trail

This circular route follows U.S. 6, U.S. 151, and Iowa 220 through the Amana Colonies. It is marked with rectangular brown signs with the name of the route in white text.

Avenue of the Saints

The name "Avenue of the Saints" was derived from the notion that the route would eventually connect St. Louis, Missouri, and St. Paul, Minnesota. The route through Iowa has been completed. For information on this route visit the Iowa Department of Transportation's Avenue of the Saints web site.

Centennial Bridge

The Centennial Bridge, or Rock Island Centennial Bridge, connects Rock Island, Illinois and
Davenport, Iowa.

Cody Trail

A new 26-mile trail appeared in northern Scott County, birthplace of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, during the spring of 1999. It follows:

Scott County Road Y-64 between Eldridge and Long Grove
Scott County Road F-41 between Long Grove and Park View
Scott Park Road (old U.S. 61), 290th Street (St. Ann's Road), Scott County Road Z-16 and F-33 between Park View and McCausland
Scott County Road Z-30 and F-51 between McCausland and U.S. 67 at Le Claire

Dragoon Trail

Dragoon Trail, in the Des Moines River valley, commemorates the path of the 1835 U.S. Dragoons (the country's first mounted infantry unit). It starts with two branches originating from Fort Dodge and Webster City that join near Stratford; from there it runs through Boone and Des Moines to the Red Rock Dam between Pella and Knoxville. The trail contains several signed alternate routes.

A promotional brochure published in May 1994 contains a map of the route and all of its alternates. Based on that publication and the Iowa DOT's PDF county maps which pinpoints rural street names and road surfaces (paved unless otherwise noted), the Dragoon Trail routes are:

Fort Dodge to Stratford, starting at the Fort Museum in Fort Dodge: Kenyon Road; Avenue C; Avenue B; Dewey Place; Lainson Avenue; Riverside Trail; Webster County Road P-59; Webster County Road D-33 through Dolliver Memorial State Park; the former Iowa 50 to Lehigh; Webster County Road P-73; gravel roads (320th Street, McGuire Bend Road, 320th Street again, and Washington Avenue); Webster County Road D-54.
- Alternate between Otho and Lehigh: Webster County Road D-33; Webster County Road P-59; and the former Iowa 50
- Alternate connecting the two branches: Webster County Road D-46 between the former Iowa 50 in Lehigh and Big Bear Road in Hamilton County
- Alternate south of Lehigh: Webster County Roads P-73 and Webster D-54 between 320th Street and Washington Avenue (The mainline runs closer to the Des Moines River, but the alternate is paved.)
- Alternate along the Des Moines River (entirely gravel): 340th Street; Skillet Creek Avenue; River Road from Webster County Road D-54 to Iowa 175 west of the Des Moines River bridge.
Webster City to Stratford: Superior Street in Webster City; Iowa 17; 280th Street (gravel); Hamilton County Road R27; 320th Street (gravel); Bell's Mill Road (gravel); Hamilton County Road D46; Big Bear Road (gravel); Hamilton County Road R21.
- Alternate: Closz Drive in Webster City; Inkpaduta Avenue (gravel); 258th Street (gravel); Hamilton County Road R-27 between Iowa 17 and Hamilton County Road D-46
Stratford to Boone: Hamilton County Road D-54; Iowa 175; gravel roads (River Road, 394th Street, 396th Street, and Vasse Avenue) in southern Webster County; gravel roads (Juniper Road, 118th Street and J Avenue) in northern Boone County; Boone County Road E-18; gravel Juniper Road north of Fraser; Kale Road in Fraser; gravel 156th Street and 166th Drive out of Fraser; Boone County Roads R-21 and E-26 north of Boone; Story Street in Boone to U.S. 30.
- Alternate from Fraser: Kale Road; Boone County Road E-26; gravel roads (188th Road, 192nd Street, J Avenue, 200th Street, Juneberry Road, 208th Street, and J Avenue again); Boone County Road E-41; Boone County Road R-18; and U.S. 30 to the junction with Boone County Road R-23/Story Street in Boone
Boone to Des Moines, from U.S. 30: Boone County Road R-23 (old Iowa 164) into Ledges State Park; Boone County Road E-52 and a series of gravel roads (P Avenue, 260th Street and Peach Avenue) east of the park; Boone County Road E-57; Boone County Road R-26; Boone County Road E-62; Iowa 210 to Madrid; Iowa 17; former and current Iowa 415 through Polk City; NW 84th Avenue west of Ankeny; NW 37th Street; Horseshoe Drive past the Saylorville Lake Visitors Center; NW 37th Street again; NW Toni Drive; NW 66th Avenue; NW 26th Street; Morningstar Drive to Aurora Avenue on the north edge of Des Moines.
Through Des Moines: Aurora Avenue; 6th Avenue; Birdland Drive; Saylor Road; Penn Avenue; University Avenue; East 6th Street; Robert D. Ray Drive; Locust Street; Penn Avenue in front of the State Capitol; Grand Avenue; 3rd Street (SB) and 2nd Avenue (NB); Court Avenue and Walnut Street (NB); Water Street across the Raccoon River near the mouth; SE 1st Street across the Des Moines River; Scott Avenue; SE 6th Street; Hartford Avenue; SE 22nd Street; Evergreen Drive; SE 34th Street; and Army Post Road to U.S. 65.
- "Bus Route": Follows Holcomb Avenue and Saylor Road between 6th Street and Penn Avenue instead of Birdland Drive.
- Alternate: From the intersection of 2nd and Grand Avenues downtown, it follows Grand westward to 4th Street in West Des Moines; from there it follows 5th Street; Railroad Avenue; Iowa 28; Park Avenue; George Flagg Parkway; Fleur Drive; and Locust Street back to 3rd Avenue.
Des Moines to Lake Red Rock: U.S. 65 northward to SE Vandalia Road/Polk County Road F-70; Iowa 316; a series of gravel roads (Dubuque Street, 40th Avenue, Erbe Street, 60th Avenue, Gear Street, and 85th Place) in Marion County; Marion County Road G-40; Iowa 14 across the Mile-Long Bridge over Lake Red Rock; Marion County Road G-28; and Marion County Road T-15 across Red Rock Dam.
- Alternate: Iowa 14 southward from County Road G-40 to business Iowa 92 in Knoxville; business and old Iowa 92 east of Knoxville; and County Road T-15. The main and alternate routes both end at the Lake Red Rock Visitors Center at the south end of the dam

Dwight D. Eisenhower System of National Defense Highways

Visit the website

Dvorak Memorial Highway

Year Established: 1928
In the summer of 1993 this former auto trail in northeast Iowa, named for Czech-born musician Antonin Dvorak, was resurrected with new signage. It begins at the Minnesota state line and follows Howard County Road V-58 through Cresco to Protivin, where it follows Winneshiek County Road B-16 (including the former Iowa 325) through Spillville and U.S. 52 to its southern end in Calmar.

Edna Griffith Pedestrian Bridge

Pedestrian bridge over I-235 in downtown Des Moines near the Des Moines Botanical Center, dedicated in the name of the civil rights activist Edna Griffith.

Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge

I-80 over the Mississippi River in Davenport

Grand Army of the Republic Highway

U.S. 6 was a 505-mile highway from Chicago to Council Bluffs. Visit website.

Hiawatha Pioneer Trail

This meandering route through Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois was designated in September 1963 at a four-state governors' conference in Amana. The trail in Iowa splits into north and south routes in Toledo before they rejoin in Davenport. Both branches were marked on state highway maps from the mid-1960s through 1975.

The north branch follows:

U.S. 71 from the Minnesota state line to Spencer
U.S. 18 from Spencer to near Whittemore
Iowa 15 and Iowa 3 from near Whittemore to Pocahontas
Iowa 4, Iowa 7 and business U.S. 169 from Pocahontas to Fort Dodge
Old U.S. 20 from Fort Dodge to Blairsburg
U.S. 69 from Blairsburg to Garner
U.S. 18 from Garner to Charles City
U.S. 218 from Charles City to Nashua
Iowa 346 and U.S. 63 from Nashua to New Hampton
Iowa 24 from New Hampton to Calmar
U.S. 52 from Calmar to Decorah
Winneshiek/Allamakee County Road A-52 from Decorah to Waukon
Iowa 9, Allamakee County Road X-16, Allamakee County Road B-38, and Iowa 51 from Waukon to Postville
U.S. 18/52 and Iowa 13 from Postville to Strawberry Point
Iowa 3 and U.S. 52 from Strawberry Point to Bellevue
Iowa 62 from Bellevue to Maquoketa
Iowa 64 and Jackson/Jones County Road E-28 from Maquoketa to Anamosa
U.S. 151 and business U.S. 151 from Anamosa to Cedar Rapids
16th Avenue (old U.S. 30) and U.S. 30 from Cedar Rapids to Toledo
U.S. 63 and U.S. 6 from Toledo to South Amana
Iowa 220 and U.S. 151 through the Amana Colonies
U.S. 6 (including the former Iowa 927) from the Amana Colonies to the Illinois state line (there is a branch of the route following Cedar County Road X-30 into West Branch, and there may be other branches as well).

The south branch follows:

U.S. 30 from Toledo westward into Ames
U.S. 69 from Ames to Des Moines
Iowa 163 from Des Moines to Monroe (it's signed along Iowa 163's old alignment through Monroe)
Iowa 14 from Monroe to Knoxville
Iowa 5 from Knoxville to Albia
U.S. 34 from Albia to Mount Pleasant
U.S. 218, Iowa 16 and Iowa 1 from Mount Pleasant to Keosauqua
Van Buren County Road J-40 from Keosauqua to Bonaparte
Van Buren County Road W-40 and Iowa 2 from Bonaparte to Fort Madison
U.S. 61 and Des Moines County Road X-62 from Fort Madison to Burlington
The former Iowa 99 from Burlington to Wapello
U.S. 61 and Iowa 92 from Wapello to Muscatine
Iowa 38 and U.S. 61 from Muscatine to Davenport (where it had joined the mainline route at U.S. 6).

Click here for a complete history of Hiawatha Pioneer Trail.

Julien Dubuque Bridge

The Julien Dubuque Bridge is a continuous steel-arch truss bridge with a suspended deck that traverses the Mississippi River. It joins the cities of Dubuque, Iowa, and East Dubuque, Illinois.

This bridge was named after
Julien Dubuque, a French Canadian who arrived near what now is known as Dubuque, Iowa (which is also named after him). Dubuque was one of the first white men to settle in the area. He initially received permission from the Fox Native American tribe to mine the lead in 1788. Subsequently, the Spanish confirmed that transaction by giving him a land grant in 1796. Once he had received permission from the Fox to mine lead, Julien Dubuque remained in the area for the rest of his life. He befriended the local Mesquakie Chief Peosta, for whom the nearby town of Peosta, Iowa, is named.

The Julien Dubuque Bridge is part of the U.S. 20 route, and carries two lanes of traffic and one pedestrian walkway. It is one of two motor vehicle bridges over the Mississippi in the area (the Dubuque-Wisconsin bridge is three miles north and links Dubuque with Wisconsin) and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the design specifications, the bridge superstructure was constructed with 1,925 tons of silicon steel and 2,292 tons of carbon steel. The approach spans used 3,205 tons of steel. The substructure required 34,087 cubic yards of concrete, 1,232 tons of steel and 2,909 timber piles. The total cost of construction in was $3,175,341.63.

Its longest span is 845 feet, total length 5,760 feet and width 28 feet. The clearance below the bridge is 64 feet. When built, the 845-foot main span was the second longest over the Mississippi River, fourth longest in the United States and eighth longest in the world.

The Julien Dubuque Bridge replaced an aging structure known locally as the "High Bridge" or "Wagon Bridge." Construction of the bridge was attributed in part to World War II and the need to facilitate military transportation. In 1942, the first parts of the bridge were begun. In 1943, the bridge was completed.

The bridge was originally painted gray to help camouflage the bridge in case of enemy attack. It was later repainted a dark green color and stayed that way until the early 1990's, when it was returned to its historic gray color during a renovation

Because the bridge was financed with bonds, it was initially operated as a toll bridge. Proceeds were used to help pay off the bonds. In the post-war years, traffic was so heavy that the bonds were paid off 11 years early, and the bridge became toll-free in 1954.

In the early 1990s, the bridge underwent an extensive renovation. The deck was completely replaced, and a new walkway installed on the bridge.

Due to congestion on the bridge, the Iowa DOT has developed preliminary plans to build a parallel, two-lane bridge directly to the south of the Julien Dubuque Bridge. Some federal funding has been secured and right of way has been acquired. Construction is contingent upon additional federal funding being received.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Routing: U.S. 14 west of Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. 52 south of Rochester, U.S. 63 north of Rochester. This highway connects four towns where the author Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up: De Smet, SD; Walnut Grove, MN; Burr Oak, IA; and Pepin, WI.

Leo P. Rooff Expressway - U.S. 218 in Waterloo

The following are excerpts from Rooff's obituary published, January 6, 2004 highlighting his career and noting the reasons for the dedication of this roadway in his name.

Former Waterloo Mayor Leo Rooff, one of the longest serving and most respected mayors in the city's history, from 1974 to 1984, guided several projects of lasting benefit to completion for the entire metropolitan area; most notable was the $350 million interstate highway substitution plan under which the entire metro transportation system was reconstructed in the 1980s.

Years later, U.S. Highway 218 though Waterloo was renamed the Leo P. Rooff Expressway. The present-day growth of the Cedar Falls Industrial Park is also attributed to Rooff's interstate highway substitution plan.

"The DOT poured a lot of money into the road system in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area when Leo was mayor," said Rigler, who chaired the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission when the interstate substitution program funds were awarded. "It made all kinds of sense for Waterloo.

"Leo was a great mayor and certainly was good to work with at the DOT," Rigler added. "He's certainly going to be missed and he was a good friend."

Cedar Falls Mayor John Crews said the local highway system created through that interstate substitution program will be Rooff's longest-lasting legacy.

"It helped the whole area," Crews said. "The infrastructure was upgraded throughout the metro area. We got so many good internal roads in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, but we also got the bike trails started in a really big way and the lakes."

Iowa-Illinois Memorial bridges

The I-74 bridges in the Quad Cities are officially designated as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial bridges. The oldest bridge was dedicated November 18, 1935, to honor veterans of World War I. In addition, a monument to veterans is located near the footing of the bridge in Bill Glynn Park, which is considered an integral part of the bridge for veterans.

The I-74 bridges will eventually be replaced with a new structure. Preliminary planning and design work is underway. The Iowa DOT has already received comments from the public regarding an interest in having the new structure named in honor of our veterans. The I-74 bridges are jointly owned and maintained by the Iowa and Illinois departments of transportation, so any future naming decisions must be jointly made.

Lincoln Highway

If you travel U.S. 30 across Iowa, you are never very far away from the Lincoln Highway, if not right on top of it. As much as 85 percent of the original highway is still drivable in the Hawkeye State, although some of it is gravel.

It is best to have a copy of the book "The Lincoln Highway" by Gregory Franzwa or the Lincoln Highway Association Iowa Chapter's map pack. Both provide detailed maps for each of Iowa's 13 Lincoln Highway counties. The maps specify the original route where accessible. Where the roadway is gone or abandoned, they indicate detours that steer the driver back to the highway's drivable road surface.

MacVicar Freeway

Officially, the name of the Des Moines freeway is “Interstate Highway 235.” However, it was designated in the 1960s as the John MacVicar Freeway by the Des Moines City Council. The plan to name the new freeway the John MacVicar Freeway was first suggested in 1958 by the Des Moines Pioneer Club, but gained little support at that time. The two John MacVicars, father and son, were reportedly the closest thing to a political dynasty Des Moines has ever known. They held city offices at intervals over a period of more than 50 years. The elder MacVicar was mayor from 1896 to 1900, streets commissioner in 1908 to 1912, mayor again in 1916 to 1918 and public safety commissioner in 1922 to 1924. He was elected mayor again in 1928, but died seven months later. John MacVicar, the younger, was city streets commissioner in 1932 to 1934 and 1936 to 1940, and was mayor from 1942 to 1948. He died in 1950.

Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

U.S. 65/Iowa 5 from I-80 to I-35 - Des Moines bypass

Rider Way Pedestrian Bridge

The Rider Way pedestrian bridge over I-235 near 44th Street in Des Moines wasofficially dedicated Friday, April 7, 2006. Roosevelt High School and the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling at the north end of the bridge that morning. Invited speakers for the dedication included Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines Councilwoman Christine Hensley, Roosevelt High School students, and Iowa DOT officials. The ceremonial ribbon was cut by the 2006 Roosevelt Hall of Fame inductees. Also performing at the ceremony was the Roosevelt High School drum line and concert band.

The name for the bridge, Rider Way, was selected as the winning entry in a bridge-naming contest sponsored by the Iowa DOT. The winning name was nominated by several classes, and represents the Roosevelt High School's motto, “Respect and Responsibility - It’s the Rider Way.”

The Rider Way Bridge is one of three pedestrian bridges built as part of the I-235 reconstruction project and showcases some of the aesthetic design elements incorporated in the corridor. The bridge replaced an existing bridge, and connects the neighborhood south of the freeway with Roosevelt High School and the neighborhood north of the freeway.

Veterans Memorial Bridge

U.S. 275/Iowa 92 bridge over the Missouri River in Council Bluffs

Veterans Memorial Highway

Iowa 3 across the state