2022 may rival only 1930 in the difficulty of getting to Traer on primary roads.
The day after Labor Day — and 10 days after US 63 from Traer south to IA 96 opens after months of construction — US 63 from Traer to IA 58 is going to close for months of construction. The “concrete pavement overlay,” a surprising difference from the usual asphalt, should be done in November. This winter, Traer should have the smoothest road from the Gladbrook corner to Hudson since IA 59 was initially paved from Toledo to Hudson in 1930.
IA 8 heading out of Traer will change from being a detour for southbound 63 to being a detour for northbound 63. The detour will then go north on IA 21 and west on D35. (The linked detour map is simply overlaid on the state map, which I’m not sure I’ve seen before.) One thing I have noticed about this year’s construction on 63, vs. 25 years ago, is that the backs of the detour signs have the contractor’s markings, and they vary in style from the state signs. Perhaps responsibility for signage of detours shifted from state to contractor at some point?
The Sept. 6 date is a revision from the initial press release. It’s too bad it couldn’t be pushed back another week — Hudson plays a district football game at North Tama on Sept. 9.