There are some interesting takeaways in the draft five-year plan released by the Transportation Commission this week. The major interstate projects in Council Bluffs and Sioux City continue throughout the plan, although money has been shifted in some years (bridges at I-29/80/480 are now slated for 2018). Technically, these are fiscal years, so it’s possible but not likely that some things may happen six months earlier than you think. Because it’s a long list, I’ve split the entry and there is more after the jump.
- New US 34 over the Missouri River must open this year, because it’s off the plan, and repaving of both the old route west of I-29 and IA 370 are on it.
- On the other hand, the state starts contributing to IA 175 bridge maintenance in 2015.
- Dubuque’s Southwest Arterial is now included, with grading/paving scheduled for three of the five years. The Seippel Road interchange is NOT. To the west, a second Dyersville interchange is on for 2015.
- IA 100’s “Real Soon Now” date is 2018, with paving between Edgewood and Covington roads in 2016 and to US 30 two years later.
- I-35 work north and south of I-80 is still on schedule, finishing the six-laning in West Des Moines in 2014, reconstruction of the four-lane north of IA 92 in 2016-17, and beginning work on six-laning in Ankeny in 2018. I-35 in Decatur County, which opened in the early ’70s, will be reconstructed in 2017.
- Additional four-laning of US 30 is in the works too, with the segment from US 218 to IA 21 paved in 2018 and grading for the Mount Vernon-Lisbon bypass in 2017; presumably paving would be in 2019 following the gap-year pattern.
- US 20, meanwhile, will have at least a four-year gap in new expressway miles. Between Moville and Correctionville, grading and bridges are programmed for 2014 and ’17 with paving in 2016 and ’18. Since the current design deviates slightly from the current two-lane roadbed, it’s possible that a new two-lane will open, the old two-lane will close, and the full four-lane will come in 2018. (The same may apply to US 30 in Benton County above.)
- In both Johnson and Story counties, paving and bridge work all the way down in 2018 may be the beginnings of replacing the cloverleaf interchanges at I-35/US 30 and I-80/380.
- The I-80/US 65 interchange is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
- US 218 will have another intersection converted to an interchange, C57 (Cedar Wapsi Road) in 2016. Elsewhere on 218, and also US 34, shoulders will be partially paved.
- Rest areas to be rebuilt: I-80 at the Jasper/Poweshiek line 2015; I-80 EB near Victor 2018; I-29 near US 34 2016
- Nine of Iowa’s 24 oldest bridges in the system, and six of the 11 still existing with the worst sufficiency ratings in 2010, are scheduled to be replaced. The latter includes IA 152 over I-35 in 2015; its entire route will be repaved a year earlier.
- Multiple long interstate segments have “Traffic Signs” items. There may be a widespread Clearview invasion happening in the near future.
- Paving on IA 92 east of Greenfield and IA 9 east of Riceville are new to the plan.