WEST End: Nebraska state line, Council Bluffs IA/Omaha NE, Pottawattamie County IA/Douglas County NE
Or would that be US 85 south of Torrington WY? The route marked as state highway 92 is so long Street Atlas has to be at a magnification level of only 6 (of 16) to show it. The route only runs for 14 miles in Wyoming (more north-south than east-west), completely crosses Nebraska and Iowa. and makes it about halfway across Illinois. Making it a US highway, though, would require two numbers to fit the rules, since it crosses US 30 in east-central Nebraska, and in addition only the eastern segment (east of US 281) is really major enough to be a US highway. Well, US 32 has been open since 1934...
(Side note: Rich Carlson, webmaster of the Illinois Highway Page, Jason Hancock's site's counterpart, does not share quite the same feelings, wondering why 92 is the same in four states in the first place, and 92 "doesn't go anywhere important, and takes its time getting there." After driving 92 from Council Bluffs to Martensdale one day, I got the "takes its time" part.)
Looking north from Nebraska
Photo by Neil Bratney
Although this bridge, the South Omaha Bridge, was built in 1935, the bridge did not carry US 275 until 1941 and IA 92 until 1960. Neil says, "On the west side of the bridge, NE 92/US 275 enter ethnic South Omaha on Missouri Ave. You can turn north immediately on 13th Street to get to I-80 (about 1.5 miles). NE 92 continues westward through Omaha and on to Wahoo."
Nebraska and Iowa have planned a new four-lane bridge just to the north of the current one, which will be torn down. There's work going on already on four-laning 92/275 on the Iowa side. Work on the new bridge is expected to start in late 2007 and be done by the end of the decade. See the NDOR page here.
Iowa into Nebraska
Facing west on 92/275, with a Nebraska seat belt sign
Photo by Neil Bratney
Photo by Neil Bratney
These are the first signs in Nebraska. It's missing a "To" tag for I-80, though. Nebraska likes to be bold in posting its US route numbers. (The font would best be described with a name like "Series D Bold" or "Series D Thick." The 92 is in standard Series D.)
Nebraska into Iowa
Facing east on 92/275
The road we're on is Missouri Avenue; the intersecting road is 13th Street, which carried US 73/75 prior to the mid-1980s. The South Omaha Bridge was named the Veterans Memorial Bridge in 1985, though the name is used less often on the Iowa side.
Closeup of bridge sign and last Nebraska shields
Left photo by Neil Bratney
Facing east
Photos by Neil Bratney
Facing east on the Nebraska side (2008)
Facing east on 92/275
Left and center photos by Neil Bratney
Iowa's first sign set had neither a US 275 shield or a "Pottawattamie County" sign; by 2006 a 275 shield had been added (far right).
Facing west on 92(/275)
Photo by Neil Bratney
Neil says this mile marker is within 100 feet of the first sign. This corresponds to US 275's mileage; note the mini-shield. In the early 2000s, many US 275 shields along IA 92 were round Iowa 275 shields, though most of these had been removed by 2006.
Facing east on 92, east of I-29 and the old 275 split
This is either a non-conforming sign or a nice reminder of how long 92 is in Iowa.
EAST End: Illinois state line, Muscatine, Muscatine County IA/Rock Island County IL
Or, again, would that be US 34 in La Moille IL? Highway 92 finally ends 12 miles west of I-39, but traffic eastbound on 92 can run right into 34's alignment and continue to Chicago.
Facing northeast, but heading east, on 92
The first town on IL 92 is Illinois City, but it wouldn't be illogical to point to Rock Island instead since that's where 92 is going. It heads almost due east to the Quad Cities from here.
Facing northeast, but heading east, on 92
Facing southeast
This is the Norbert Beckey Bridge into Illinois. Once it crosses the bridge, it becomes IL 92. The car is turning from IA 92 onto IA 38.
Facing southeast, but heading east on 92, shields at far right of above picture
Facing southeast on 92
Facing northwest, but heading west, on 92
Facing northwest, but heading west, on 92
This is the second westbound 92 shield in Iowa; the first is in the background of the above photo.
Facing southwest, but heading south, on 38 / Closeup
Left photo by Jason Hancock
This is in downtown Muscatine as 92 crosses from Illinois and intersects Business US 61. This is also the south end of IA 38.
Facing southwest, but heading south, on 38
EAST End of IL 92: Intersection, US 34, near La Moille IL, Bureau County IL
Facing east on 92
Highway 92 finally ends 12 miles west of I-39, but traffic eastbound on 92 can run right into 34's alignment and continue to Chicago.
Facing east on 92
Facing east, but heading north, on 34
Facing east, but heading north, on 34
Facing west on 34
Facing west on 34
Facing west on 92
To get to Iowa from Illinois you have to go through...Ohio? Moline is due west of here.
Points of interest:
Highways 2, 92 and 163 are the only state highways with business routes, all created from bypasses. The Clarinda bypass/business route for IA 2 was created in 1973, Knoxville's for 92 in 1978, and Pella's for 163 was created in 1994. Business 92 has its own page here.
Also, even though 92 is a sort of anomaly as a major road with 2 digits unlike 2, 3, and 9, it's the only one to continue as the same number on both sides of Iowa (see above). Before 92 was christened in 1939, the route did in fact have a single-digit number, 2. (That 2 was then given to what was 3, and a new 3 was later routed across northern Iowa.)
Pictures by Neil Bratney: First and 14th, 1/22/02; second, third, seventh, eighth, eleventh, and twelfth, summer 2002
23rd picture by Jason Hancock: 6/19/03
>Pictures by me: Fourth and sixth, 6/12/06; ninth, tenth, and 13th, 4/6/08; 15th, 6/27/06; 16th-22nd, 24th, and 25th, 10/13/06 (the day I clinched the entire route in Iowa); 26th-33rd, 6/15/08
Page created 4/13/02; last updated 8/25/08
