Category Archives: Construction

Jan 09

Double diverging diamonds for Linn County

The most recent environmental assessment (large PDF) for an expanded I-380 on the north side of Linn County has something new for the state of Iowa: consecutive diverging diamond interchanges. Today, there is only one diverging diamond interchange in the … Continue reading

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Jan 02

Elevator part of I-74 bridge plans

May 7, 2018: An elevator would provide a more direct connection from Bettendorf’s Riverfront Trail (seen at bottom left) to the future I-74 bridge, whose Iowa landing will be just a bit upstream from the current one. The city of … Continue reading

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Dec 12

Final leg of IA 100 opens today

As many as 15,000 vehicles per day are expected on the new 1.3-mile segment of Highway 100 in northeast Cedar Rapids which opens at 11 am Wednesday. The $3.2 million highway is an extension of Collins Road NE, connecting Interstate 380 and Edgewood Read NE. The … Continue reading

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Dec 07

Dubuque Southwest Arterial update

Between this story from KWWL and a video from the city of Dubuque, we can see that the Southwest Arterial is making progress. The related project on US 20, an intersection with the new Menards frontage road and Old Highway … Continue reading

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Dec 03

IA 100 ceremony coverage

I admit, I wasn’t there, but with the weather the way it was I can’t say I’m too disappointed in missing out. KCRG has a story about the IA 100 ribbon cutting and ceremonial ride/walk along the new segment. The … Continue reading

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Nov 29

Post-Thanksgiving work on Ames flyover bridge

The Iowa DOT is doing nighttime closures of US 30 at I-35 to place beams overhead for the new flyover ramp, Radio Iowa reports. As both IPR and an earlier blog post note, this was supposed to be done by … Continue reading

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Nov 27

IA 100 ribbon cutting Saturday

2018 will get the completion of not one, but two major Iowa highway projects that were decades in the making. The completed IA 100 beltway around western Cedar Rapids will have a celebration Saturday, the Gazette reports. There will be … Continue reading

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Nov 14

Youngville overpass work continuing

Rather than write out “US 30/US 218 interchange” when I discuss the new exit being built in Benton County, I think I’ll invoke a throwback to the area’s auto history. That history is being preserved and amplified in the construction: … Continue reading

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Nov 05

I-80 has a new max lane count in Iowa

The Iowa DOT reports that I-80 is open to five eastbound lanes on the Missouri River bridge. (The press release said Oct. 26, weather permitting; the weather did not permit, and a tweet moved it to the night of Oct. 28-29.) That was … Continue reading

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Nov 01

I-380 construction at least a decade away

The final meeting of the preliminary studies for expanding I-380 to six lanes between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids was last month. Unfortunately, construction is a long ways off. This was just identifying needs and possibilities. First, nothing will happen … Continue reading

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