End of US highway 151

View a map showing this route.

Additional research and/or photo credits: Karin and Martin Karner; James Schecter; me

Approx. time period North terminus South terminus
1926-1934 Fond du Lac, WI Madison, WI
1934-1938 Manitowoc, WI Madison, WI
1938-1940 Manitowoc, WI Cedar Rapids, IA (1st St SW)
1940-1981 Manitowoc, WI Cedar Rapids, IA (16th Av)
1981-1985 Manitowoc, WI Cedar Rapids, IA (bypass)
1985-present Manitowoc, WI (near Amana Colonies, IA)

US 151 was an original 1926 highway, but it ran only between Madison and Fond du Lac WI at the time. In 1938, US 151 was extended southwest to Cedar Rapids IA, and it had at least three different termini there over the years. You can view photos and get more info about each of these historic endpoints on this page.

In 1934, US 151 was extended northeast out of Fond du Lac to serve Manitowoc. The route comes into town via Calumet Avenue, and that becomes Washington Street approaching downtown. US 151 junctions with eastbound US 10 at 10th Street (which is one-way running southbound), and then there's an "End" assembly posted just past 9th Street:

me, Aug. 2005 (and I'm told all of these are unchanged as of Dec. 2010)

Visible in the distance is the signage at 8th Street, which serves as westbound US 10 - that intersection marks the actual endpoint of US 151. A block behind the camera, eastbound US 10 runs to the right. After a few blocks it turns east (ahead) on Madison Street, and then angles north (left) to the Lake Michigan car ferry dock (which happens to be situated directly behind the Anheuser-Busch malting facility visible in the background of the photo above). I'm not sure whether US 151 was ever co-signed with US 10 to the ferry dock. But when you're coming from that direction (west on US 10), the signage hints at that possibility:

me, Aug. 2005

That's looking north on 8th; the north beginning of US 151 is to the left. The photo below shows the opposite direction (south on 10th, or east on US 10):

me, Aug. 2005

If you take that right turn, you soon see the first southbound confirming marker:

me, Aug. 2005

In 1985, US 151 was extended southwest out of Cedar Rapids: along former IA hwy. 149, past the Amana Colonies, to its south end at interchange 225 on I-80. Here's the exit to the south beginning, as viewed from eastbound I-80:

me, June 2001

At the end of that offramp, traffic is directed to US 151 thus:

me, Aug. 2005

To the right is County Hwy. W21. Approaching that interchange from the south on W21, the south beginning of US 151 is marked like this:

me, Aug. 2005

Not far ahead is the first confirming marker:

me, Aug. 2005

The junction with US 6 (which provides access to the main Amana Colonies) is about 6 miles ahead. But the commercial area situated right at the freeway interchange is marked on some maps as "Little Amana". Below, we're heading the opposite direction:

Karners, Aug. 2010

That's the last southbound marker, along with some classic Iowa scenery. Not far ahead is the I-80 interchange and Little Amana, part of which is visible in the shot below:

me, Aug. 2005

That's looking south at the I-80 overpass. Several more perspectives from this junction can be viewed on Jeff Morrison's page, here.