Dubuque - SW Arterial (Future US-52)

[thspfc]

US-52 in Dubuque now has one of the most bizarre and inefficent routings of any highway in any city in the country. From south to north, it junctions with US-61/151, heads south, heads back northwest on the SW Arterial, heads east on US-20, then finally turns back northward. That's four distinct changes of direction, each with multiple miles in between. From a roadgeek standpoint, it also creates a wrong-way concurrency.

From what's described above re the US 52 rerouting, the current route of US 52 turns west on US 20 to Dyersville, then north concurent with IA 136, regaining its original alignment at Luxemburg.  The previous US 52, which apparently still carries that signage (hopefully temporarily) concurrent with IA 3, is in the process of reverting back to IA 3 alone, which will terminate in downtown Dubuque.  US 52 actually used this particular routing for a while back in the '70's.

Ah, I forgot that IA-3 also runs along that stretch of US-52. The actual routing does make a ton more sense than the route I described.

[The Ghostbuster]

Is there a construction date yet on the extensions of the Southwest Arterial connecting to existing US 52 at both ends?

[iowahighways]

Is there a construction date yet on the extensions of the Southwest Arterial connecting to existing US 52 at both ends?

No. US 52 now follows US 20 westward to Dyersville and IA 136 northward to Luxemburg. The Arterial itself turns into two-lane Seippel Road north of US 20, but it ends in Asbury and I haven't seen any plans of a northward extension.

An eastward extension to the existing US 52 would be wishful thinking to remove the zig-zag along US 61/151, but I have seen no plans of one.

[SSOWorld]

I keep watching as I live 25 minutes away, but there are actually 2 routings - the phantom former route and the current route - that disappears at the east end of the arterial.

and IA 32 still exists according to the signs.

[iowahighways]

I keep watching as I live 25 minutes away, but there are actually 2 routings - the phantom former route and the current route - that disappears at the east end of the arterial.

and IA 32 still exists according to the signs.

Good to know. My understanding is that cleanup from the August 10 derecho is still ongoing and is higher priority for Iowa DOT District 6.

[SSOWorld]

I keep watching as I live 25 minutes away, but there are actually 2 routings - the phantom former route and the current route - that disappears at the east end of the arterial.

and IA 32 still exists according to the signs.

Good to know. My understanding is that cleanup from the August 10 derecho is still ongoing and is higher priority for Iowa DOT District 6.

The sign situation has improved... somewhat

The green signs at 20 and along 61 have a lot of... well... green.  Old shields covered up and remaining routes pasted.  However the local 52/3 ground signs (even on 61) remain. 

At 52 EB, the northern trailblazer had all 3, they just took a sawzall to the 52 part.  Now it's right-heavy.

Overall the 52 reroute was "functional".  They skipped the spinning rims.

You talk of the clean-up from the derecho going on?  True.  There is a sign by DeWitt on US-61 approaching the US-30 cloverleaf that has not yet been replaced. It still has the old sign that was knocked down at the breakaway point.

[I-39]

What is the point of this route? Couldn't they have just extended US 20 straight east from Swiss Valley Road to US 61/151 and have it serve the same purpose?

[SSOWorld]

US-52 northwest of Dubuque is a major truck route to MN and points west. That's all going through downtown Dubuque and hilly terrain with tight curves and 6+% grade hills and quite heavy residential rural zones with poor line of sight.  My view in particular is the City of Dubuque wanted the heavy traffic out.

EDIT:

https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_c7063014-2229-5393-b035-eedb36e473e7.html?utm_source=thonline&utm_medium=click_source&utm_campaign=homepage_top_news_card (Open private window to avoid paywall)

roads southeast of the arterial are seeing higher traffic counts (double in fact).  This is because traffic going on US 52 is trying to avoid traffic bottlenecks at two poorly timed traffic lights to continue southeast.  These are low-traffic roads that are carrying exceeding traffic counts.  Nobody saw that coming. </BlatantLie>

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe instead of following US 20 westward and IA 136 northward to reconnect with existing 52, the US 52 designation could have headed east on 20, and then went northward on the Northwest Arterial and reconnected with existing 52 there. That would have made more sense to me as a bypass of Dubuque than the out-of-the-way 20/136 connection via Dyersville to Luxemburg.

[edwaleni]

What is the point of this route? Couldn't they have just extended US 20 straight east from Swiss Valley Road to US 61/151 and have it serve the same purpose?

You and several other people are asking the same question. I think it was a compromise between functionality and economic development.

To be fully functional (like you suggested) would take it too far away from Dubuque proper.

To be used for economic development, it had to be closer to the metro area to promote new business.

What was built is a compromise of both. A 4 lane interstate grade highway that is neither functional or useful for economic development today.

You are being just too logical.

My pet theory is that they know this route is not sustainable in its current form but didn't have the money to take it the rest of the way.

But now that it is open, logistics firms (and everone else using Google Maps) are going to route their trucks in the most shortest way available, which happens to be Schueller Road to Old Davenport.

This is going to drive demand to get the final part funded sooner becuase people don't want trucks on their road.

[SSOWorld]

Maybe instead of following US 20 westward and IA 136 northward to reconnect with existing 52, the US 52 designation could have headed east on 20, and then went northward on the Northwest Arterial and reconnected with existing 52 there. That would have made more sense to me as a bypass of Dubuque than the out-of-the-way 20/136 connection via Dyersville to Luxemburg.

How does that alleviate the problem on the rural stretch?

[pianocello]

Maybe instead of following US 20 westward and IA 136 northward to reconnect with existing 52, the US 52 designation could have headed east on 20, and then went northward on the Northwest Arterial and reconnected with existing 52 there. That would have made more sense to me as a bypass of Dubuque than the out-of-the-way 20/136 connection via Dyersville to Luxemburg.

I would argue that the SW/NW arterial combo is more out of the way for US 52 thru traffic than US 20/IA 136. It's certainly faster to go through Dyersville, though the mileage is comparable.

[tchafe1978]

I would've liked to see the SW Arterial line up directly with both the NW Arterial and current US 52 south of Dubuque, but there is already too much development in the way on both ends. At least now there is a route to keep some of the trucks off of US 20 through Dubuque if they're heading south, but it won't keep any trucks heading to Illinois off US 20.

[midwesternroadguy]

The number of stoplights on US20/Dodge Street and their lack of synchronization would have made me consider using the SW Arterial and US 61/151 to bypass that section of Dodge.  However, the stoplights in the vicinity of the intersection of US 52 and 61/151 have reduced the efficiency of that route, particularly when there were no dedicated left turn lanes on 61/151 at those intersections. Twenty years ago, I remember it taking 25 minutes to traverse that stretch of Dodge.  I hope that they've made signal adjustments since then.