Existed: 1947 – present East end: I-35 in Ankeny Length 3.936 km County Polk County, Iowa | West end: Iowa 415 in Ankeny Counties: Polk Constructed 1947 | |
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Iowa Highway 160 (Iowa 160) is a short state highway that runs east and west in central Iowa. Its begins at Iowa 415 in Ankeny and ends at exit 90 of Interstate 35 (I-35) in Ankeny. Originally ending at a Y intersection, south of the current intersection with Iowa 415, the route has been straightened to run west and east. Iowa 160 passes Des Moines Area Community College near its intersection with U.S. Route 69 (US 69).
Contents
Map of IA-160, Ankeny, IA, USA
Route description
Iowa Highway 160 begins at a stoplight intersection with Iowa 415 on the southwestern edge of Ankeny. Iowa 415 comes from the south and leaves to the west, Iowa 160 begins to the east, and Ankeny's State Street continues north. Iowa 160, known locally as Oralabor Road, meets DMACC Boulevard just 0.5 miles (800 m) from its western end and forms the southern border of the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) campus. Iowa 160 passes businesses to the south and the DMACC campus landscape to the north before intersecting US 69, known locally as Ankeny Boulevard.
East of US 69, the highway separates the commercial area to the south from the residential areas to the north. A single-track Union Pacific Railroad line serves as another dividing line as Iowa 160 enters a purely commercial area for the remainder of its length. Just 0.3 miles (480 m) from its eastern end, it intersects Delaware Avenue, a north–south street which diverts retail traffic exiting from I-35 just to the east. Iowa 160 ends on an overpass of I-35, at exit 90.
History
Iowa Highway 160 was designated in 1947 as a diagonal connector route from Iowa Highway 60, now Iowa Highway 415, to U.S. Route 69. Iowa 160's original west end was a Y intersection, with Iowa 60 coming from the south and heading northwest and Iowa 160 heading northeast. In 1980, Iowa 160 was extended 1 mile (1.6 km) from US 69 to I-35. By 1986, the intersection with Iowa 415 was moved north and became a T intersection.
Major intersections
The entire route is in Ankeny, Polk County.