CONVICT ROAD

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CONVICT ROAD

Convict Road is a stretch of concrete over a century old. The 1.5 mile road, finished in 1914, was one of the first concrete roads built in rural Iowa. It was funded by local taxes and built at a cost of roughly $45,000. In 1913, the Iowa Legislature authorized the construction of Convict Road, a project completed by incarcerated men from the Anamosa State Reformatory. The road was part of the Great White Way (a route from Burlington to Council Bluffs); the first route designated by the Iowa Highway Commission. A concrete road was necessary in this location, as the bridge approach on sandy terrain frequently washed out and closed the bridge. Flooding problems continued and the Convict Road bridge washed out. By 1930, it was replaced by a river crossing further south (Iowa Highway 92). Most of Convict Road is on public property, stretching from Iowa Highway 92 to the River Forks Boat Access, via 214th Avenue, and Main and Concord Streets. Bridge pilings from the historic road are visible during low water levels.

Erected by Louisa County Conservation and the State Historical Society of Iowa with funding support from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. 2022.