In the Transportation Commission’s March meeting this week, a transfer of jurisdiction for US 61 in Des Moines County was approved.
But here’s the thing: It’s not the recently rerouted portion of 61 (which was in Louisa County). It’s not a project that will happen this year. This transaction was nearly $1 million for a road whose four-laning won’t be completed until 2021. As seen in the large environmental assessment (PDF) from 2015 that covers the expressway from Burlington to IA 78, not all of old 61 will be incorporated into new 61, nor will all of it be left behind. Part of it will be close enough to the new route to require little hiccups* to accommodate bridges, and part will be obliterated.
The EA linked above includes the Mediapolis bypass and four-lane 61 from there to Wapello, which are both only beginning to trickle into the five-year plan.
*Is there an actual term for this? I’m referring to where an otherwise straight-line frontage road has to curve. If there isn’t, I nominate “hiccup”.