Iowa Highway 56 - History

History

When the Iowa primary highway system was created in 1920, Primary Road No. 56 extended from West Union eastward to Guttenberg. It began in a different location in West Union than it does today, beginning at Primary Road No. 19 in the northeastern part of town. The route then headed south along Pine Street. In Elkader, Primary Road No. 56 joined Primary Roads No. 10 and No. 13 and crossed the Turkey River on the Keystone Bridge. Shortly after leaving Elkader, Primary Road No. 56 split away from the other two routes and headed east. It turned south at Primary Road No. 20 and the two routes headed to Guttenberg. The Primary Road No. 56 designation ended in Guttenberg.

Primary Road No. 56's length past Elkader did not last long. By 1925, the two overlaps were removed and the standalone stretch between them was renumbered Primary Road. No. 128. By the 1950s, the western end of the route shifted to its current position in West Union. In the early 1980s, a new bypass and Turkey River bridge were built around Elkader. Iowa 13 was shifted onto the bypass and Iowa 56 was extended southward along the former Iowa 13 to the new highway. In 2004, the two intersections of Iowa 56 along Bridge Street were rebuilt to allow large trucks to take the sharp turns. Roadwork began on June 1 and the street reopened on August 4.