For at least the third time, the Iowa DOT’s attempt to turn a major intersection into a “J-turn” has been met with vocal displeasure from local residents.
In March, KCCI reported that the plans to put a J-turn on US 30 on the south side of State Center were on hold. Instead, the DOT would build offset right-turn lanes. These lanes move traffic farther away from the mainline instead of being aligned beside it. I’ve seen other, shorter offset right-turn lanes recently constructed at intersections of rural two-lane roads and wonder if they might become more widespread.
The story says the DOT will monitor how this change, plus the addition of warning lights on the four-lane road when cross traffic approaches, affects the intersection.
A letting scheduled for today shows the turn-lane plan is being put to paper with construction in the second half of this year. Interestingly, all Iowa State football games (not just the home ones!) are listed as “special events” for the contractor to be aware of.
J-turns were earlier rejected at the US 65/330/117 intersection and the US 30/218 intersection, both of which were eventually upgraded to interchanges. The only place one has been installed is on US 20 near Fort Dodge for a truck stop (that I still think was badly located but you get the land that you can get).
Addendum to that link to a blog post from 2022: The J-turn proposed at the south side of the US 61 Wapello bypass has been upgraded to a full interchange.