(May 24, 1932-July 1, 2003)

WEST End: Stop sign, US 61 and IA 92, near Grandview, Louisa County

Facing west on 252 (10/29/04)

This junction sign was gone by October 2006.

Facing west on 252 (January 2002)

Photo by Jason Hancock

The helicopter is part of a veterans' memorial. There is also a veterans' memorial at the end of one of the Benton County spurs.

Facing west on 252 (6/8/15)

Here we see a photo combining the past (the 252 designation) with the future (early construction on US 61 four-lane). (6/8/15)

Facing north on 61 (10/29/04)

Neither 61 nor 92 had a green two-highway "Junction" sign approaching this intersection. This could mean two things: Either they were never there (possible), or they were replaced. Everything at this intersection is going to disappear when the new four-lane 61 opens just to the west (left of the camera) with an interchange. The existing two-lane will be a frontage road.

Facing north on 61 (January 2002)

Photo by Jason Hancock

Tiny spur 252 ended at the junction of two major highways, and was so small you couldn't see the line on the map.

Facing north on 61, post-decommissioning (10/29/04)

Closeup of above sign (6/8/15)

Facing south on 61, but heading west on 92 (10/13/06)

Before this assembly was an incorrect "Jct 92" sign, possibly put up when the "Jct 252" was taken down.

Facing south on 61, but heading west on 92 (10/13/06)

Facing east on 92 (10/29/04)

Facing east on 92 (10/29/04)

Note both 61 and 92 have mile markers meeting here (74 and 260, respectively).

EAST End: Vernon St., Grandview, Louisa County

Facing south, but heading east, on 252 (January 2002)

Photo by Jason Hancock

The last two blocks of 252 head south to go through the business district and then it becomes a gravel road. This actually used to be a part of US 61, and when it was here, before 1932, it was still gravel between Grandview and Wapello. In the intersection in the background of the above picture, 61 turned left and then followed a southeast-then-south course to Wapello, crossing the Iowa River on what later became the IA 99 bridge. When Grandview got a little route to keep its business district on the state rolls, it never got peeled off until 2003.

It's unclear why Louisa County labels the thing as County Road 252, since it's so short, and the east-west portion would serve a much better continuity purpose as an extension of G44X. (Plus, that would mean one spur became part of the ever-elusive four-digit county road system.) However, the intersection with G44X is not signed in town, and the DOT map says 252 becomes County Road G48. Because Grandview is so close to the west end, there isn't much room for any signage anyway.

In the left foreground is the post that held "End 252", right by the old Grandview School. (6/8/15)

Last seen: 2003

Page created 5/14/02; last updated 4/12/16

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