While much of the recent attention on interstate construction in Des Moines has been related to the northeast mixmaster, the southwest mixmaster isn’t being neglected.
A meeting on April 11 in Des Moines will take another step forward in turning the southbound I-35 to eastbound I-235 exit into a flyover ramp from its current inner loop.
Inklings of the plan first appeared in May 2022 when the 2023-27 five-year plan was released. More attention came last year when KCCI did a story about it.
The flyover ramp project is related to the I-35 to IA 141 flyover project in the sense that both are driven by suburban growth west of that 141/35 corridor. Traffic coming in from northwest Urbandale on Douglas Avenue or Grimes on 141 needs to go east on I-235 to go downtown, and the latter needs the 141 flyover on the way home.