Highway 27 - Avenue of the Saints

Iowa 27

Iowa 27 is the designation given for the Avenue of the Saints corridor throughout the Hawkeye State. The route augments U.S. 218, Interstate 380, U.S. 20, U.S. 218 again, U.S. 18 and Interstate 35 as part of a four-lane corridor linking Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota with St. Louis, Missouri. Iowa 27 was created in 2004 following completion of the Donnellson freeway bypass for U.S. 218 in Lee County. The route replaced Iowa 394 south from Donnellson to the Missouri state line.1

A new four-lane bridge opened across the Des Moines River for the Avenue of the Saints on December 8, 2004. This replaced the tolled St. Francisville Bridge to the east and coincided with the completion of a new four-lane roadway leading south to U.S. 61 at Wayland. That roadway was designated Missouri 27 to match Iowa 27.1

Expansion of the route north to U.S. 218 to four lanes was completed on August 25, 2005. A ceremony marked the completion of Avenue of the Saints corridor as an expressway or freeway throughout Iowa on June 16, 2006 at Mount Pleasant High School in Henry County.1

Avenue of the Saints Guides

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Page Updated Friday July 31, 2015.