(June 24, 1998-May 2003)
NORTH End: Stop sign, IA 163, Mahaska County
Facing northwest on 432
Photo by Jason Hancock
About half of 432's route parallels the new IA 163. Overall, it's barely more a north-south than east-west route.
Facing southwest, but heading north, on 432 (see below)
Photo by Jason Hancock
Aerial: USDA/NRCS; rural sign: Jason Hancock
The intersection marked "Traffic circle here" indicates the intersection with 432 and Pella Avenue, which continues diagonally out of the picture. Traffic circles are a rarity in Iowa, although they are cropping up more often. Perhaps because we never needed to have a word for it, the vernacular of "roundabout" seems to be creeping in along with the circles. This particular one opened in December 2003. Personally, even with my limited experience of them in the Northeast, I rank traffic circles up with one-way streets and four-way stops as the most heinous traffic control devices ever unleashed on drivers.
More about Pella Avenue: Because of its angle, and because 432's south end is on the west end of town, I believe that IA 163/US 163/original US 63 used that road to leave town. (That would also provide an excellent explanation for why it's "Pella Avenue".)
SOUTH End: Stop sign/T intersection, IA 92, Oskaloosa, Mahaska County
By October 2004, possibly concurrent with a new Wal-Mart Supercenter and re-asphalting of IA 92 in this area, all gantries and LGSs at this intersection have disappeared. You would never know this was the end of a state highway less than a decade ago.
Facing south on 432
Photo by Jason Hancock
No longer the end of a marked highway (indeed, any highway), but the signs still stood for years. Between 1934 and 1969, US/IA 163 went east (left) from this intersection, to end at US 63, being the "child" of that route.
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.)"
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 remains 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.
According to news articles and public records, the portion of IA 432 in the Oskaloosa limits was accepted by the city December 2, 2002, and the portion in Mahaska County was accepted December 23, the same day as 102 and 371. It was taken off the state rolls in May.
Last seen: 2003
Pictures by Jason Hancock: First-third, fifth, and seventh (w/closeup), 6/28/03; fourth and sixth, June 2000
Page created 1/19/04; last updated 11/15/04
