EAST
Oskaloosa has had a lot of route and number changes. A series of maps showing routes in 1920, 1930, 1935, and 1950, including old state numbers and US 163, is available here. A map of the present routes (well, the present routes plus IA 432) is also down this page at the current east end.
Old EAST End: Stop sign/T intersection, IA 92, Oskaloosa, Mahaska County
Facing south, but heading east, on 163
Photo by Jason Hancock
No longer the end of a marked highway (indeed, any highway), but the signs stood for years. All of the signs at this intersection were taken down, and 92 was re-asphalted, in 2004.
I don't think this is where US 163 originally split from what is now IA 92. When US 63 was rerouted along IA 59 through Waterloo and into Minnesota and Wisconsin, the old Oskaloosa-Des Moines stretch was US 163 between 1934 and 1938. As 163 came into Oskaloosa, it was diagonal and then straightens to a southerly direction to meet 92. Street Atlas reveals a road that follows the diagonal for a short distance more and then goes straight south, using C Avenue West and North L Street. The inclination that these streets made up the original 163 may be reinforced in the fact that SA lists the name as "C Ave W/Pella Ave". Anyone from Oskaloosa with more definitive info? Let me know!
This intersection was NOT the end of US 163, because it had to return to meet its parent. It continued east with 92 just over a mile to end at US 63 in central Oskaloosa. This is additionally confirmed in a 1968 Des Moines Register article about the Great Renumbering, which mentioned 163 would be taken off 92. The east end of US 163 is the same intersection the north end of IA 137 was at before 1997. You can see photos of that intersection on 137's page.
Facing east on 92
Photo by Jason Hancock
Pella is in the blacked-out (grayed-out?) space on this LGS.
Facing east on 92
Photo by Jason Hancock
Jason Hancock writes: "This overhead gantry on the west edge of Oskaloosa features a blank green sign. It used to mark the lane for turning onto westbound IA 163 until the freeway bypass was built in 1997. The text on the signs approaching old IA 163 were taken down, but the signs themselves were still up when this photo was taken in June 2000. (If you look closely at the blank sign, you can make out a faint circular outline, the word "WEST", and a downward-pointing arrow.)" These signs were still up in the middle of June 2003, and can be seen from the expressway when looking east at the interchange with 92.
Facing west on 92
Photo by Jason Hancock
Closeup of above picture
Notice the difference in arrow size under the "92 west" and "163 west" signs. Unlike eastbound 92, the 163 shield remained here, with its accompanying arrow turned 90 degrees to face down. The bridges of the 163 bypass are visible just over the top of the hill.
Surrounding area information: 163-92 interchange
Facing southeast, but heading east, on 163
Although you CAN exit from 163 to northbound 63 to the south, this is obviously the better option. (Actually, it's a bit surprising that an exit to northbound 63 is an option at 163's end.)
EAST End: Direct merge into US 63, near Oskaloosa, Mahaska County
Facing southeast, but heading east, on 163
Photo by Jason Hancock
The $64,000 question with this interchange: Is 63 exiting from itself? Not really, though the numbers could make it so. The following is true: a) Each route has its own MM 60 in the area. b) There is only one MM 61, in the middle of the interchange. c) The interchange is spread out over a wide area. Below is the 2002 aerial photo with miles or mile fractions marked. The table goes into more specifics.
| Place | DOT marker |
| Last before NB 63 exit | 60.35 |
| SB 63 crosses over 163 | 60.85 |
| Last marker for 163, near bridge | 61.10 |
| First marker for 63, a bit farther south | 60.35 |
The numbers in the table are from the little white markers along the side of the road. My car's odometer, however, read differently. According to it, the 60th mile of 163 did not begin until where the road for southbound 63 crosses over the four lanes of 163 - a difference of a little more than four-fifths mile. So even with all the changes in alignment, 163's current markers are very close and the distance between US 69 and US 63 was slightly shortened. (A caveat: I was generally driving in the right lane of the eastbound lanes, which could be thought of as an inner radius. Going in the right lane of the westbound lanes may yield different results.)
In other words: The exit for northbound 63 is 163's Exit 60. Before merging, 163 reaches Mile 61. The point at which northbound 63 leaves the four-lane on the south side of the interchange is inside 163's Mile 61 but 63's Mile 60. When 63's mileage is picked up on the mainline, it's three-fourths of a mile away from an even split. If the "middle" of the interchange is considered the southbound bridge crossing, the exits are 163's. It just so happens that 63 is in Mile 60 at that point too. A clear-cut example of 63 exiting from itself is at IA 149's south end.
On the access road, facing north
Photo by Jason Hancock
Jason says, "This black 'junction' sign is approaching northbound US 63 from the off-ramp from eastbound IA 163 (after exiting, the ramp runs over IA 163 and then turns northward to this point)."
Facing west
Photo by Jason Hancock
Facing north on 63
The "163 West" is a bit premature since this road is still 63 for a mile. A "Straight Ahead" at the bottom could work. At this point there are still surface-road intersections.
Facing north on 63
Photo by Jason Hancock
Because of the structure of the Des Moines-Burlington expressway plans, the 63-163 change is the dominant road. The confusion between the two sets of mile markers, partially sparked by the nature of the interchange, would be better resolved if the exit tabs were simply removed from the interchange entirely.
Facing south on 63
Photo by Jason Hancock
Pictures by Jason Hancock: First and third, June 2000; second, fourth, and fifth, 6/28/03; eighth, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth, 3/10/02
Pictures by me: Sixth, seventh, and tenth, 5/10/05
Page created 2/17/02; last updated 6/6/05
