Category Archives: Construction

May 21

Notes on 2022-26 five-year plan (2)

Major and/or interesting things in the Iowa Transportation Commission’s five-year program, continued: New IA 9 bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing in 2024, but removal of the present one in 2026 (which, because all of these are fiscal years, … Continue reading

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May 19

Notes on 2022-26 five-year plan (1)

June 20, 2017: This intersection on the south side of Nevada will not be closed in 2023 in favor of an overpass between here and the S14 intersection in the deep background. UPDATE/CORRECTION 6/25/21: Current plans leave the intersection intact … Continue reading

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May 17

Diverging diamond interchange coming to Coralville

I-80’s 1st Avenue exit in Coralville, scheduled for replacement in 2023, will be Johnson County’s first diverging diamond. That will be a year after I-380 at Tower Terrace Road becomes the first such exit in eastern Iowa. The interesting thing … Continue reading

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May 10

Council Bluffs dual, divided freeway completion this week

An e-mail from a mailing list and this DOT press release bring good news for western Iowa: The I-80 dual, divided freeway separation will be completed this week. There will be some closures to get lane shifts complete, but starting … Continue reading

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May 03

US 61 four-lane: Where the rest stands now

The DOT has released final plans for four-laning US 61 from the north end of the future Mediapolis bypass to just north of IA 78, including a new interchange with a slightly extended IA 78. Typically, there would be a … Continue reading

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Apr 30

IA 58 extension to get exit numbers

July 15, 2007: One of the places getting new BGSs and exit tabs on IA 27/58 in Cedar Falls. In Cedar Falls, the Avenue of the Saints is officially IA 27/58. The IA 58 freeway was talked about for decades … Continue reading

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Apr 28

Is CR’s Eighth Avenue bridge 82 years old, or 50?

Once again, the annual list of Iowa’s structurally deficient bridges includes Eighth Avenue over the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids. The list comes from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a “nonpartisan federation” promoting investment in infrastructure. It pegs … Continue reading

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Apr 16

There’s a creek there?

From the DOT’s website: The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting public input for proposed improvements on Iowa 8 in Tama County. OK, pertinent to my interests. The proposed project includes the removal and replacement of an existing 12’ x … Continue reading

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Apr 14

US 20 concrete in Waterloo getting replaced

The Iowa DOT has announced that starting tomorrow, US 20 between the US 63 and IA 21 exits will move to head-to-head traffic to remove and replace the pavement in the eastbound lanes. (Is it Infrastructure Week here? — Ed.) The … Continue reading

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Apr 12

I-35 bridge project creates detours for US 30

Two years after a permanent change to the I-35/US 30 interchange in Ames, a temporary one is here, and this time it will affect some football gameday traffic. Starting last week, the DOT closed some ramps at the interchange in … Continue reading

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