End of US highway 150 |
1927-1934
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1934-1977
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1977-present
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Its east end was in New Albany. At the time, US 31W traffic from Louisville KY crossed the Ohio River via the Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Bridge, and ended up on Vincennes Street in New Albany. This photograph was taken from that perspective:
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By the time of that photo, the US 150 designation had been extended across the bridge and into Kentucky, so the driver was already on both routes. That intersection is where they split, with US 150 turning left on Main Street, and US 31W continuing straight ahead. But until 1934, the east beginning of US 150 was to the left on Main. About a mile in that direction, traffic was directed to the north on State Street, and after another six miles, that joins with the current alignment of US 150.
From New Albany, US 150 ran only about 66 miles to the northwest. As illustrated on the map above, US 150 originally turned west on what is now IN hwy. 550 at Lacy (a couple miles south of Shoals). At the time, westbound US 50 did not cross the White River at Shoals, like it does today. Instead, it stayed on the south bank, following Spout Spring Road / CR 63:
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US 150 originally ended there. Straight ahead was westbound US 50, and eastbound was to the right. But in 1930, the White River was bridged by US 50 in Shoals. So for the next year or two, US 150 was extended to the right, along Spout Spring/former US 50. It came into Shoals either on Water Street or Main Street, ending at 4th Street (which carried the "new" US 50). But that lasted for only a year or two; already by 1932 the "new" US 150 had been built between Lacy and Shoals. So then the west terminus of US 150 moved a few blocks east, to the current junction:
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That is looking west on US 50, which continues ahead. For a couple years, the west beginning of US 150 was to the left. But in 1934, the US 150 designation was extended ahead with US 50. The routes diverged at Vincennes, and US 150's west terminus was extended to Rock Island. Also in 1934, US 150 was extended eastward to its current terminus in Mount Vernon.
In 1977 the westernmost few miles of US 150 were truncated, such that the designation now ends where it meets US 6 on the outskirts of the Quad Cities, rather than serving the central business districts. This photo was taken looking eastbound on US 6, at the west beginning of US 150:
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The green signs in the distance are at exit 18, serving I-74 and US 6.
Research and/or photo credits: Nathan Edgars; Jason Hancock; Karin and Martin Karner; Jeff Morrison; Robert Richardson; Dale Sanderson
Page originally created 2001;
last updated Mar. 27, 2018.
last updated Mar. 27, 2018.