Red Rock Threshers Tractor Ride takes place this week; Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office reminds motorists to be aware and use caution


Routes mapped for Red Rock Threshers Tractor Ride ... The map of Allamakee County pictured above has the routes inked out for the Red Rock Threshers Tractor Ride taking place throughout the county this Friday and Saturday, July 20 and 21. The red/pink-shaded route shown throughout most of the eastern portion of the county (right side of the map) is the 86-mile ride taking place Friday and the green-shaded route in the northwest corner of the county (upper left corner of the map) marks out the 62-mile route being traveled Saturday. Both routes will be utilizing the network of roadways to/from the ride’s gathering base at Waukon High School that includes a stretch of State Highway 76, Iron Mine Drive, State Highway 9 and Lycurgus Road, as somewhat depicted by the green and pink markings side by side in those locations. A listing of the roads being traveled by the tractor ride each day is included in the article accompanying the above image. Submitted image.

The Red Rock Threshers Tractor Ride based out of Pella will be embarking upon its annual tractor ride July 20 and 21, choosing routes in Allamakee County for this year’s event. The group of between 200-250 tractors will start its ride each of those two days from the Waukon High School parking lot, traveling through a good majority of northeast Allamakee County July 20 and the northwest corner of the county July 21.

The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office asks that drivers use caution and operate their vehicles in a safe manner when encountering the tractors during the ride. Motorists are advised to be patient, courteous and pass safely as many Allamakee County Roads have limited visibility to oncoming traffic due to terrain and curves. Law enforcement will be present to assist with traffic control at intersections that may be considered hazardous.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds motorists that Iowa law has limitations on overtaking (passing) another vehicle on the left. This is defined in the Iowa Code Section as follows:

321.303 - Limitations on overtaking on the left. A vehicle shall not be driven to the left side of the center of the roadway in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit the overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction or a vehicle overtaken. The overtaking vehicle shall return to the right-hand side of the roadway before coming within three hundred feet of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction when traveling on a roadway having a legal speed limit in excess of thirty miles per hour, and the overtaking vehicle shall return to the right-hand side of the roadway before coming within one hundred feet of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction when traveling on a roadway having a legal speed limit of thirty miles per hour or less.

The routes for the daily rides have been established as described in the following paragraphs below and as mapped out with the red/pink and green outlines in the image at right:

Friday, July 20 is an 86-mile ride with tractors leaving Waukon at 7:30 a.m. The scheduled route is Waukon to New Albin via State Highway 76, County Road A44 (Iron Mine Drive), State Highway 9, and County Roads X20 (Lycurgus Road) and A26 (Iowa River Drive), with a stop for a morning break in New Albin. The tractors will then travel from New Albin to Harpers Ferry via State Highway 26 and County Road X52 (Great River Road), stopping in Harpers Ferry for lunch. Leaving Harpers Ferry, the group will travel to Waterville for its afternoon break taking County Roads X42 (Lansing Harpers Road) and B25 (State Forest Road), State Highway 76 and County Road X32 (Waterville Road) east into Waterville. Leaving Waterville, the group will travel X32 (Waterville Road) north out of Waterville and then travel County Road A52 (Elon Road) west back into Waukon for the group’s overnight stay and fuel fill-ups.

Saturday, July 21 is a 62-mile day for the tractor drivers and they will again leave Waukon at 7:30 a.m. This day sees them traveling north out of Waukon on State Highway 76 and taking County Road A16 (Dorchester Road) into Dorchester for their morning break. From Dorchester, they will travel to Eitzen, MN via County Roads A16 (Dorchester Road), W60 (Balsam Road) and A26 (Bear Creek Drive) and State Highway 76 for a lunch stop. Roads traveled from Eitzen, MN back to Waukon will be State Highway 76, County Roads A26 (Iowa River Drive) and X20 (Lycurgus Road), State Highway 9, County Road A44 (Iron Mine Drive) and State Highway 76 back to Waukon High School for their departure home.

For more information about the event at the local level, contact Ardie Kuhse, Waukon Economic Development Director at 563-568-2624.