Iowa Highway Ends (etc.)

Four roundabouts are planned for central Dubuque on the University Avenue corridor. KCRG reports that drivers are using that street to get off US 20. (University is an ancient alignment of 20.) This plan would require buying houses at certain intersections for right of way. The city had a meeting Thursday night.

University Avenue is not a straight street, and the intersections where roundabouts are being proposed are not right-angle intersections. That means that I can kind of waggle my hand neutrally at them.

The roundabouts are part of a much larger plan to:

• three-lane Asbury Road west into Asbury
• add “enhanced crosswalks”
• reconfigure at least one intersection
• add/improve sidewalks along Asbury Road and Pennsylvania Avenue
• make intersections on University Avenue between Asbury and Pennsylvania right-in-right-out

Thursday’s meeting was very early in the process. There is no dedicated funding or schedule.

In a very rare move, a construction project is beginning in February. Three bridges on US 30 between Calamus and Wheatland, all turning 70 years old, are going to be replaced this year. The DOT press release says work will start Monday and go into December!

These bridges are original to the 1955-56 relocation of US 30 between Clarence and Calamus. They supplanted the 1931 bridges to straighten US 30 through the Wapsipinicon River area that themselves replaced 1922 Lincoln Highway-era bridges.

One-lane traffic will be controlled by stoplights. Detouring to old 30 is not an option because the 1931 bridge over the main channel of the Wapsi has been closed for some time, not even safe enough for one-lane traffic.