Des Moines Bypass
Freeway in Iowa, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The bypass around Des Moines, Iowa, is a 25-mile-long (40 km) freeway around the south and east of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The route is made up of two state highways – Iowa Highway 5 (Iowa 5) and U.S. Highway 65 (US 65). The bypass begins in southwestern West Des Moines at Iowa 5's interchange with Interstate 35 (I-35). It heads to the east and then curves to the north near the southeastern side of Des Moines. It ends at the interchange of US 65 and I-80 in Altoona.
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by Iowa DOT | ||||
Length | 24.649 mi[1] (39.669 km) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | I-35 in West Des Moines | |||
Major intersections |
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East end | I-80 / US 65 in Altoona | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Iowa | |||
Counties | Polk, Warren | |||
Highway system | ||||
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The bypass was planned concurrently in the 1970s and 1980s as two segments, Iowa 500, which is represented today by the US 65 segment north of the Iowa 5 interchange near Carlisle, and the much longer Iowa 592, which is represented by Iowa 5 from I-35 in West Des Moines to Iowa 92 near Pleasantville. Area leaders would like to see the road designated as an Interstate Highway, but significant obstacles have prevented that from happening. [citation needed] The bypass, together with Interstate 80 and 35, forms a beltway around Des Moines.