Final segment of the 2024-28 construction plan, approved last month:
- A segment of I-80 east of the northeast mixmaster to US 65, with construction in 2025-27, is mistakenly labeled as I-35 again this year. There is a separate line for the mixmaster, with construction only for 2024. Bridge pillars for the new ramp from WB 80 to SB 235 are already in place. The exit from WB 80 to both NB 35 and SB 235 will be consolidated and then split into a flyover ramp and a much longer ramp, and the exit point moved all the way back to just east of NE 29th Street.
- The west mixmaster is also now on the plan for rebuilding in 2028. So far, all I’ve seen is one story from KCCI and one from the Register. The latter includes a diagram showing that the northeast loop (SB 35 to EB 235) will be removed and converted to a flyover ramp, but also, SB 35/80 to WB 80 will be retooled into a double-lane exit much closer to the center of the interchange so that it will merge into traffic from WB 235 from the left. This will likely make it harder for traffic on 80 to get to the Jordan Creek exit lane.
- The Hickman Road (US 6) exit will be turned into a diverging diamond in 2025-27. This project includes adding another lane in each direction (!) on I-35/80 between Douglas and University avenues with slight reconfigurations at both those exits’ ramps. According to a November 2022 handout, “traffic volumes in the corridor are expected to continue to increase by nearly 35% by the year 2042.”
- Sign replacement on I-35/80 from NW 86th Street to the northeast mixmaster is planned for 2024. Those BGSs are the oldest in the metro. However, I’m confused why a 9-mile segment is billed as 27.4 in the plan.
- They’re going to try to deal with the congestion on IA 141 in Grimes, a location that did not get enough right-of-way when it was built decades ago and now needs to be a full freeway but can’t, in 2025. Northbound 141 at SE 37th Street (Grimes’ grid) has eight individual stoplights. An attempt to put a SPUI there would probably take out both gas stations.