Iowa Highway Ends (etc.)

September 28, 2025: Traffic moves on southbound US 218 at the intersection of 260th Street, with Easton Avenue behind the camera. On Monday, traffic switches to head-to-head in the existing northbound lanes (foreground). The position of this picture, once construction is done, will be just east of the east edge of a roundabout for 260th and the new northbound 218’s on/off ramps.

Today, US 218 traffic between Janesville and Waverly becomes head-to-head in the existing northbound lanes. This is to add paving connections for the future full traffic shift onto a new roadbed for the interchange north of Janesville.

Although this is only officially stage 2 of 7, this is a major advancement. Step 1 was closure of the east-west road and grading/paving every component of the new interchange that could be done without interfering with traffic on the present four-lane. Step 3 involves moving traffic to head-to-head in the new southbound lanes, over the bridge in the photo, while the east side of the interchange is built. That includes converting part of present northbound 218 into a frontage road, although the part seen above will be removed as the frontage road will bend to make room for a roundabout.

The Iowa DOT’s Bremer/Black Hawk County Facebook page has some aerial (probably drone) views of the interchange construction, but I can only see about one or two because I refuse to create a Facebook account.

Legislation lowering the state’s speed limit to 55 miles an hour cleared its final legislative hurdle today and was sent to Gov. Robert D. Ray for his signature. … The bill will remain in effect until July 1, 1975, or until the President determines there is no longer an energy crisis. — UPI in Ames Tribune, 2/6/74

The top half of the Feb. 28, 1974, issue of the Grundy Register had two photos that said it all: a hand-written “Out of Gas” sign from a station in Grundy Center, and Iowa Highway Commission workers putting a panel over a double sign on IA 14 that changed “Speed Limit 70 / Trucks 55” to “Speed Limit 55.”

Seventy. On two-lane roads. With cars the size of boats. Yikes.

Meanwhile, 52 years later, now we have a speed limit of 60 on two-lane roads but 65 on many miles of four-lane roads including controlled-access freeways. Any chance this can get fixed next session?

I finally got around to doing a rundown of the big-budget and other interesting items in the 2027-31 Iowa DOT five-year highway plan.

Keep in mind that “underfunded” means the DOT hasn’t allocated all the money the project needs, not that the listed cost of the project will grow.

Now we know what the grade-and-pave listing for two intersections on US 75 north of Sioux City in the five-year construction plan is for.

The intersections of US 75 with county roads C70 and C80, in Plymouth County, just across the Woodbury line and right before/after the Sioux City bypass begins/ends, are going to be restricted.

The Iowa DOT has given less than a week’s notice (Wednesday for a meeting Monday) about installing J-turns at the intersections. The state is referring to them as “reduced conflict intersections” but they’re still that type of intersection that bans left turns from the intersecting road onto the four-lane.

Construction will take place next year. Barring locations that I don’t know about, and depending on the timing of the one coming to US 30 in DeWitt, these will be the third and fourth “reduced conflict intersections” in Iowa.