October 12, 2001: The flash on this picture reveals that “1st Ave” was a greenout for the original label “Coralville” on this I-80 BGS.
The state just finished rebuilding and expanding I-80 in the Iowa City area, but Coralville is hungry for more. The First Avenue exit, currently a regular diamond, is getting more traffic both because of suburban expansion and new retail in the area. The city has proposed a diverging diamond interchange, which would be the second in Iowa after the upcoming Alice’s Road Grand Prairie Parkway project in Waukee.
Also of interest at the bottom of the article: Converting the cloverleaf at I-380’s south end (taking IA 100’s place on the Real Soon Now timeline) and an exit on I-380 two miles north of there.