December 18, 2006: Two numbers, two opposing directions, and the occasional bout of confusion about what road you’re on. US 65 and IA 5 share the Des Moines beltway between US 69 and Carlisle.
I have pointed out before that the south and west Des Moines beltway cannot be designated an interstate because the Des Moines River bridge is open to farm traffic and bicycles. Is that going to change?
The Altoona Herald and WHO-TV both have stories about farmers’ concerns about the designation. WHO has “Highway 5” in the title of the story, but this is the US 65 portion we’re talking about; vehicles with speeds under 40 MPH are already prohibited from the IA 5 segment of the beltway, west of US 69. Indirectly, this shows that a single number would help alleviate confusion in what to call it.
The Herald also focuses on the Purple Heart Highway designation of the beltway, which has existed since or shortly after the first part opened in 1995. There’s still at least one sign, north of the University Avenue exit, but it does need replacement.
Meanwhile, construction continues north of the Army Post Road exit, converting culverts in the southbound lanes to higher bridges.
It’s been three decades since any new interstate was designated in Iowa. I think I-435 is the most logical designation, but there has not been any movement on this from the Iowa DOT to my knowledge.