U.S. Route 151
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U.S. Route 151 |
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Length: | 337[1] mi (542 km) | ||||
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Formed: | 1926[1] | ||||
South end: | I-80 near Williamsburg, IA | ||||
Major junctions: |
US 30 in Cedar Rapids, IA US 20 in Dubuque, IA I-90 in Madison, WI |
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North end: | US 10 in Manitowoc, WI | ||||
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U.S. Route 151 is a U.S. Highway that runs through the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. The northern terminus for U.S. 151 is at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and its southern terminus is at a junction with Interstate 80 in Iowa County, Iowa. The route, from south to north follows a northeasterly path through Iowa and Wisconsin.
Approximately seven miles (11 km) south of Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. 151 joins with U.S. Highway 61. The two highways share a route from there to Dickeyville, Wisconsin. Three miles (5 km) south of Dubuque, U.S. 61/151 join with U.S. Highway 52, and share a route with U.S. 52 until the White Street exit in Dubuque.
In Wisconsin, U.S. 61/151 joins with Highway 35 about one mile (1.6 km) north of the Iowa/Wisconsin border. At Dickeyville, U.S. 151 splits off and heads northeast to Platteville. U.S. 61 and Highway 35 continue north. U.S. 151 later joins with U.S. Highway 18 near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. The two highways share a route all the way to Madison, Wisconsin.
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[edit] History
U.S. 151 was one of the original highways from 1926. At the time, it only ran from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin to Madison. Originally, the highway ended at Western Avenue and Main Street in Madison. In 1934, the highway was southwest extended to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, incorporating the full length of former U.S. Route 118 (Dodgeville to Dickeyville) and part of U.S. Route 161 (Dubuque to Cedar Rapids; US 161 from Cedar Rapids south to Keokuk became U.S. Route 218). The highway was comprised mainly of what had been U.S. 161, which was a decommissioned route. At the time, the southern end of the route was at Williams Blvd SW and 16th Ave SW, what was then U.S. Highways 30 and 218. In the 1940s, the highway was extended north to Manitowoc.
In 1981, the southern terminus of the highway was extended once again when the U.S. 30 bypass was built. The southern terminus was at the US 151 and 30 interchange. By 1986, the main U.S. 151 was rerouted onto state highway 13 and U.S. Highway 30 to bypass Cedar Rapids. The previous route through Cedar Rapids was renamed as Business U.S. 151 (though the official state designation for it is State Route 922). Finally in 1989, U.S. 151 was extended to its current southern terminus at Interstate 80, exit 225. This extension followed the route of the former state highway 149. As a result, U.S. 151 became the main route through the Amana Colonies.
[edit] Route upgrades
The highway was recently converted into a four lane highway from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Madison, Wisconsin.
In 2000, construction began along the Iowa sections of U.S. 151 between Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. By the end of 2001, the four lane sections from Marion to Anamosa were completed. By 2002, the bypass around Cascade was completed. By the summer of 2004, the Monticello bypass was opened, as was most of the remaining segments of highway. The last major portion of the highway - a 16 mile (26 km) section between Cascade and about two miles (3 km) south of the intersection with U.S. 61 still under construction - was completed in the summer of 2004. The two new southbound lanes were opened on September 13, 2004.
Over the course of several years highway 151 from the Iowa-Wisconsin border to Madison was expanded into a four lane highway. This part of the project was completed in stages. The first sections to be completed were from Madison to Dodgeville, where it is multiplexed with U.S. 18, and from the Iowa-Wisconsin border to just outside Dickeyville, Wisconsin. Next the highway was expanded from Dodgeville to Belmont, Wisconsin, and from there to Platteville. The last stage to be completed was the 8 mile (13 km) stretch of highway between Dickeyville and Platteville. This final stage was finished and opened by December of 2005.
The upgrading of this route has led to the expansion of business along the newly created four lane highways in some communities. In Belmont a new truck stop and hotel were built just to the north of the Belmont exit.
[edit] Madison to Fond du Lac
Since the 1980s, a separate project has also been underway to four-lane the highway from Madison to Fond du Lac.
On the stretch of road between Madison and Fond du Lac, with the exception of a 1.7 mi. stretch just southwest of Fond du Lac, the highway is four-lane divided expressway or freeway. An expansion of this portion of the highway to four lanes is scheduled for completion in 2007. [1] Eastward from there, the highway is routed along a bypass of Fond du Lac, which connects U.S. Highway 41 on the south side of the city with the northeast side of the city.
[edit] Fond du Lac to Manitowoc
From the Fond du Lac bypass northeast to Manitowoc, the highway proceeds northward for about 15 miles near the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago before turning eastward about 8 miles southwest of Chilton, proceeding thence roughly east to a junction with I-43 (I-43 exit #149) in southwestern Manitowoc. There are currently no plans to expand this section of the highway to four lanes.
[edit] Notable locations
Notable locations along the route include:
- Amana, Iowa
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Dubuque, Iowa
- Platteville, Wisconsin
- Dodgeville, Wisconsin
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Columbus, Wisconsin
- Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
- Manitowoc, Wisconsin
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 02:55, 4 July 2006 (UTC).
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