(1980-July 1, 2003)
Termini below are marked to its 2003 status, ditto for accompanying text. A map showing the extents of 928 in 1980, 1987, and 1991 can be seen here.
[Old] WEST End (1987-88): Stoplight, US 20 and P59, Webster County
Facing east on 928
In 1987, US 20 was shifted onto its new freeway segment between IA 17 and P59, removing the small duplex with IA 17. For one year, the route between P59 and I-35, with the exception of inside Webster City, was 928. The year after, Webster County took its portion of the route and signed it as D20 eastward to the intersection with P71. East of there, while still in Webster County, old 20 is unsigned, because Hamilton County already has a D20 to the north and the route extending east of Duncombe could be D25. While only active for one year, mile markers for IA 928 reflect this terminus point; MM 11 is the first in Hamilton County.
Facing east on 20, now Business 20
Facing east on 20, now Business 20
Between 1987 and 1990, 20 itself approached this intersection and turned right; now Business 20 follows that alignment.
At the intersection
The churches of Fort Dodge welcome you.
WEST End: Webster/Hamilton county line
Facing east on 928
MM 11 is near where the car is. Other portions of US 20 west of 928's farthest west end were turned over to the city, became IA 926 (where it overlaps with current Business US 169), and became the third IA 934 (the diagonal segment west of 169). The highway here follows the survey correction line, one of the lines in Iowa where the counties shift over. In fact, it's the same correction line that goes through Correctionville to the west. Since the square-mile blocks don't line up, neither do the county roads. This picture is taken where the gravel road on the north side stops; notice the pavement change. Because the roads are offset, the county signs are perhaps farther apart than they would normally be. It is apparent that Hamilton County gets the "benefit of the doubt" because this is the west side of the east-west portion of the county line; the train is in Webster County. The white tower in the background belongs to a large elevator at the intersection with IA 17.
And here are said shields; as you can see above there is no designation underneath, customary of secret state routes.
Surrounding area information: Shared segment with IA 17
Facing east on 928
The LGS was put up in 1996, indicative of DOT jurisdiction of the road. There's a slight hill here; otherwise I could show you the entire shared half-mile. You can see it all in the next two pictures.
Facing west on 17/928 (LGS in inset)
This is taken in the shadow of an elevator, a very large elevator. A village of Highview was once located here.
[Old] WEST End (1980-87): Intersection, IA 17, Hamilton County
Facing east, nearly the same spot as the above picture
Prior to construction of the US 20 freeway, 17 stayed with 20 for five more miles into Webster City. Now it goes south on what was R21 to join the freeway and regain its old route on the south side of Webster City, at an interchange with a Kmart and McDonald's. Before 1987, the west end of 928 was on the other side of this intersection, behind where the truck is. For most of the '80s, US 20 followed the road where this picture was taken and turned right.
WEST break: City limits of Webster City, Hamilton County
Facing east on 928; note pavement change
Contrary to what Rand McNally STILL says in the atlas, IA 17 does NOT follow its original route with old 20 into Webster City. In fact, if heavy traffic tried to follow it they would not be allowed. Webster City took possession of old 20 as soon as the bypass was completed and has reconstructed it from four lanes into two with angle parking. There are also brick crosswalks. The truck route goes around this central business district. Jason Hancock's research indicates that Webster City took its portion of old 20 over immediately in 1980, upon the switching of designations in the official logs - the freeway was switched from 520 to 20 and (old) 20 to 928.
The road in both the foreground and background is old 20; the curve is to the left of this crop. While perhaps US 20 fits the "Main Street USA" title better because it crosses the USA and runs near the middle of it, usually US 66 is referred to as such.
EAST break: City limits of Webster City, Hamilton County
Facing east
Still up just outside of Webster City is this LGS. While I thought I was back on 928, the city limits sign is about half a mile ahead yet. Behind me is a billboard for radio station KQWC, 1570 AM/95.7 FM, on the air since Feb. 9, 1950.
Facing west
The car is transitioning from 928 to Webster City jurisdiction. You can sort of make out the pavement change.
Signs on right side of above picture
The warning at the bottom is because "trucks" are not permitted on what used to be 20.
Facing south
The Webster City city limits are right at the intersection with R35. There was a nice sunset in the background (sorry I can't show you more).
Junction US 69 (Blairsburg)
(USDA NRCS/MIT via ortho.gis.iastate.edu)
Facing east on 928
As we work our way east, this is the first sign (no pun intended) that this road was once a major highway, and this was once a major intersection. This intersection also explains why the line for US 69 on the map shifts over slightly, and the map changed 69's line from red to black here until 2003.
[Old] EAST End (1980-91): Intersection, IA 17, Hamilton County
Facing east on 928
The US 20 segment between I-35 and US 69 had been complete since 1968. However, the US 20 segment between I-35 and US 65 was not first built until 1991. For eight years the cloverleaf of 35 and 20 was a cloverleaf near the middle of nowhere. Until 1975, 35 ended just north of the cloverleaf and until a year later, the only freeway segment of 20 was the 3 miles from there to US 69. In other words, the southbound-related ramps served half a mile of freeway at the cloverleaf's inception and four of the ramps were unused for 23 years.
This sign eastbound shows that you were not on 20 here. Westbound, there is no such sign, only a standard "Jct 35", because 20 picked up its original route again. (There is no evidence that 20 was duplexed with 35 north of this intersection, although it certainly would have been logical.) To the right is a cafe with a full parking lot when I went by.
Boondocks, n. 1) Rural country; the backwoods. 2) Famous truck stop at the intersection of I-35 and Old US 20.
The area has seen better days. The RV campground (or so the signs say) to the left of the mailbox was deserted; an old building stood there. Half of the gas pumps at the station have been removed (and there were a LOT of them). There's still quality lodging available, though; in addition to the Boondocks Motel, there's a Best Western.
Facing north on 35
This was the only official signage of IA 928, exactly like 988 in Pottawattamie County. If this is not the biggest non-freeway-to-freeway BGS in Iowa, then the honor belongs to Y21 on US 20, listing NE Iowa Community College. This BGS is only a half-mile advance because US 20 is just to the south.
EAST End: Intersection, IA 941, Hamilton County
At this intersection, the secret designation for old 20's route changes. A diagram, also marking 20:
After decommissioning, the curve notwithstanding, Hamilton County made the east-west part all D20 and the north-south part R75.
Facing north, but heading east, on 928
I'm not quite sure where the "official" designation would change along the curve from 928 to 941. I would guess the north end.
Facing west on 941
This mile marker remains from US 20, on the actual route. It's the next one, 158, that's strange because it is west of here, not on old 20. Highway 941 retains 20's mile markers throughout. This is right at the curve.
Facing east on 941
Turn left for R75. Turn right for 928 southbound/westbound, and you will have a stop sign at the curve. Continue ahead for 941, and you will have a stop sign there as well.
Last seen: 2003
The last year 928 existed was the first year the official state map labeled it.
All pictures by me: First-fourth and eleventh-fourteenth, 5/7/03; fifth-tenth and fifteenth-seventeenth, 10/11/02; bottom eight 12/8/02
Page created 12/15/02; last updated 3/8/04
