and 
BUSINESS
(For Business 18, scroll down to 76's old south end)
NORTH End of MN 76: I-90 exit 257, Winona County MN
Facing north on 76
Facing west on 90
There was only one 2-mile advance BGS for a non-cloverleaf interchange on I-90 east of Albert Lea, and this was it.
Facing west on 90
Facing west on offramp
A disadvantage of Minnesota's signing style is that you don't know how far it is to towns from intersections or interchanges.
Another sign at offramp
While 76 is generally considered to end at 90, and the sign points as such, the county road is very close:
Facing west on County Road 12
The onramp for 76 to westbound 90 can be seen at left.
Facing south on 76
The sign at right is the same one seen in the offramp picture.
NORTH End of 76: Minnesota state line, Eitzen MN, Allamakee County IA/Houston County MN
Facing north on 76
Photo by Jason Hancock
Facing south on 76
Photo by Jason Hancock
The gravel road is on the state line (can you tell?).
Old SOUTH End of 76/EAST End of Business 18: US 18, Marquette, Clayton County
Facing south on 76
Photo by Jason Hancock
Here's the deal: Before 1989, westbound 18 went straight ahead and eastbound 18 took a right in the background to reach the bridge. Today, 18 comes up to the bridge head-on, and Business 18 goes ahead. Instead of giving the business route a 900 designation, it was tacked on to IA 76 mileage-wise, but no signs were put up. Only mile markers indicate that it's part of 76 (see below).
LGS in background of above picture
This sign says 3 miles to PDC, but the sign on eastbound 18 says it's 2 miles.
Facing south on 76
Photo by Jason Hancock
As you can see from the map above, 76 no longer intersects 18 directly, but uses an access road. From this point on, only Business 18 shields will be up, as you can see in the background at far left.
Facing west on 18
Technically, this sign is in Wisconsin.
Facing west on 18
The enlarged mile marker is on the bridge itself, right above the top right corner of the inset.
Facing west on 18
The signs encountered right after crossing into Iowa point in both directions for Marquette, but only one direction for 76.
Facing east on 18
The junction with 76 is in the deep background, and you can barely see it to the right of the cut in the hill. Before getting there, 18 curves to the left of the photo and then comes back in. (Look! Scenery! In Iowa!)
Facing east on 18
Facing east on 18
Note that the font differs on the 18 shields, and only north 76 is indicated.
Facing east on the access road
Photo by Jason Hancock
Note that US 18 doesn't even enter McGregor anymore, so all the LGSs at intersections east of here that point to McGregor are a little off. Effigy Mounds is Iowa's only national monument.
End of the access road
Photo by Jason Hancock
The assembly should have a 76 and double arrow. The Marquette-Joliet Bridge into Wisconsin is in the background.
Facing north, but heading east, on Business 18 (and north on 76)
Photo by Jason Hancock
This is also the end of the River Bluffs Scenic Byway.
Facing north, but heading east, on Business 18 (and north on 76)
In the mileage signs on the access road and below, Effigy Mounds was in brown as it should be, but is not here. In addition, Prairie Du Chien does not have "Wis." after it, which I think it should. It's right across the river, but the river is wide (cue Billy Joel's "River of Dreams" here).
Facing north on 76 (2002 / 2006)
Left photo by Jason Hancock
As you can see in the map at the beginning of the slew of photos at this end, 76 takes a short turn eastward before following the river. Notice Effigy Mounds is back to being listed in brown. Right after that turn, there are these signs:
Facing east, but heading north, on 76
In a poor choice of placing, the LGS is barely visible in the short east-west block of 76, and is parallel to the road heading north (left). The distances are 24 to Waukon, same as the previous signs, and 53 to Caledonia.
SOUTH End of 76/WEST End of Bus. 18: Stop sign, US 18, Clayton County
Facing west on Business 18, but heading south on 76
Facing west on Business 18, but heading south on 76
There is no signage of 76 anywhere at this intersection.
Facing west on 18
Facing east on 18
Photo by Jason Hancock
Facing east on Business 18, but heading north on 76
Photo by Jason Hancock
One mile out, we find the only indicators of IA 76 along this entire route - mini-shields above the mile markers.
Pictures by Jason Hancock: Ninth and tenth, 7/14/02; 11th, 13th, 21st-25th, 31st, and 32nd, 7/28/02
Pictures by me: First-eighth, 9/8/06; 12th, 14th-20th and 26th-30th, 9/7/06; maps, 2/9/03
Page created 2/15/03; last updated 12/4/06