Category Archives: Construction

Mar 25

Grand Avenue bridge closed

What’s the highway significance of this closure? Grand Avenue was part of Iowa’s first numbered route system and remained that way until I-35 opened in 1958 (save for the winter of 1931-32). The bridge being replaced carried US 32 and … Continue reading

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Mar 20

US 61 in Louisa County

October 13, 2006: This intersection could have a whole new look by the end of the decade. A proposed interchange will be off to the right (west). We’re only talking about four miles, but it’s another step in the last remaining … Continue reading

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Jan 07

US 63 construction in Black Hawk County

The DOT has redesigned its public-meetings page so that the project documents are now an additional page-click away. The text on the sub-pages is shown as a continuous string, with no breaks, which can make it difficult to read. So … Continue reading

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Dec 19

Very early IA 100 work begins

The first step is relocating turtle habitat. (Cedar Rapids Gazette) It’s still going to be nearly a decade before the road opens.

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Nov 15

US 20 link opens before ceremony

The last pieces of US 20 in the state to be paved, in 1938, are also the last pieces to be bypassed, nearly 75 years later. This is a slight twist on the usual process. New 20 is going to … Continue reading

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Nov 10

I-74 bridge timeline

The westbound (northbound) I-74 bridge predates the interstate highway system by more than 20 years. As revealed at a Bettendorf City Council meeting, construction on the new I-74 bridge will begin in 2019 with expected completion around 2023. The first … Continue reading

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Oct 18

Mt. Vernon-Lisbon bypass back on the list

A decade after thinking about and shelving the plan, a US 30 bypass of Mount Vernon and Lisbon has again advanced to the public-hearing stage. This year’s meeting will be Oct. 30 (PDF). The map is here (PDF). With the opening … Continue reading

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Oct 12

Progress in Bremer County

Assorted construction news around the state: Count this as another “de-clinching” of US 218 for me: New 218 around Janesville opened today, with an interchange at C50 and a closed intersection a mile south at the county line. The entire … Continue reading

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Oct 09

Old Iowa City bridge to be replaced

The Rochester Avenue bridge, called the most structurally deficient in Johnson County, will be replaced next year. When the bridge was built in 1934, Rochester Avenue carried IA 1 on the way to West Branch. IA 1 was rerouted at … Continue reading

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Sep 28

New US 20 mainline paved, needs finishing touches

Shoulder work remains to be completed on the new road from US 71 to IA 4, reports the Sioux City Journal, whose editorial board is pleased. If the ribbon ceremony is the weekend or the day before Thanksgiving, I will … Continue reading

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