Future Iowa Interstates? (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport: new construction, taxes, living in)

[CincyIowan]

I've always wondered about this subject, wondering what future interstates/spur interstates Iowa will hold.. Cedar Rapids to Dubuque, Davenport to Dubuque even connecting Highway 61 and I-80 to Madison, WI; even spur routes in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City or like Highway 65 and Iowa 5 in Des Moines could be a future (example: I-580).



Example

[steel03]

I always thought it would make sense to Interstate-ize the Avenue of the Saints. There's currently not any easy route between Minneapolis and St. Louis (and Memphis and New Orleans). It would give easy/better Interstate access to Hannibal, Quincy, Keokuk, Ft. Madison, Burlington, Mt. Pleasant, Washington, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Vinton, Waterloo, Waverly, New Hampton, Cresco/Decorah, Spring Valley, Rochester, and Cannon Falls.
It may not be terribly feasible, but I think it would do wonders for northeast and southeast Iowa, and it would cut at least a couple hours off the trip from the Twin Cities to St. Louis.

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by steel03

I always thought it would make sense to Interstate-ize the Avenue of the Saints. There's currently not any easy route between Minneapolis and St. Louis (and Memphis and New Orleans). It would give easy/better Interstate access to Hannibal, Quincy, Keokuk, Ft. Madison, Burlington, Mt. Pleasant, Washington, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Vinton, Waterloo, Waverly, New Hampton, Cresco/Decorah, Spring Valley, Rochester, and Cannon Falls.
It may not be terribly feasible, but I think it would do wonders for northeast and southeast Iowa, and it would cut at least a couple hours off the trip from the Twin Cities to St. Louis.

It's already been done. The last stretch was completed in 2006.

Avenue of the Saints - Iowa DOT

[steel03]

I know, I travel part of that every time I drive between Decorah and Des Moines, and quite a bit of it is not Interstate.
The real point I was trying to make was that NE and SE Iowa (and SE Minnesota) could benefit from more Interstate access.

[cubssoxfan]

It's a question of funding and traffic volume. Some routes that are regional in nature instead of just intra-state could be the focus of more federal highway dollars. But with gasoline taxes set too low to maintain existing highways (at 1984 levels)and federal budget pressures, most highway spending will need to be state driven. I like building 4-lane highways that can be converted to limited access as future needs and funds become available. I think Iowa does a good job of combining 4 lanes with cross roads and 4 lanes with limited access where traffic flow dictates. All we want is to travel at highway speed without too many cross roads and stoplights and some of the highways OP mentions already do this.

[mustang84]

Honestly, I'd rather see them make US 30 entirely four lanes between Clinton and Ames before they even talk of spur routes or additional interstates in Iowa. I-80 is so heavily traveled in Eastern Iowa and it's nice to have US 30 as an alternate except for the few stretches of two lane that still remain west and east of Cedar Rapids. I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City also badly needs to be widened to six lanes.

[refried sushi]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

with gasoline taxes set too low to maintain existing highways (at 1984 levels)and federal budget pressures, most highway spending will need to be state driven.

Good point.
While not interstates, this article has two new construction (state-funded) projects around CR:

Highway 100 extension locked in to state’s highway plan | TheGazette

Originally Posted by mustang84

I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City also badly needs to be widened to six lanes.

Are there plans for this?

[Chicago60614]

There isn't serious talk of widening I-380, but the state should really think about it. It seems they do a lot of heavy work around Des Moines, but then the widening of 7 little miles of I-80 in Iowa City took around FIFTEEN years between the slow moving bridge widening and then the actual construction that took a few years in itself. They could have easily done that in a year.

There is however a project moving through (at some point, don't hold your breath) to widen I-380 from Melrose to around Forevergreen Road to 6 lanes, and then reconstruct the cloverleaf interchange with I-80 to include flyovers and rebuild I-80 to 8 lanes from Tiffen through to Coral Ridge. Right now there are 4 lanes going westbound, but they aren't actually rebuilt, just awkwardly configured on old pavement that skips around a little. It's very noticable coming off the new streamlined reconstruction of I-80 through Coral Ridge and then dumping onto the mess between there and 380. I hope they get on it soon.

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by steel03

I know, I travel part of that every time I drive between Decorah and Des Moines, and quite a bit of it is not Interstate.

Interesting. I drove to St. Paul a couple of years ago and could have sworn it was 4-lane all the way. But I must have cut over and went up I-35, I just didn't remember that.

The real point I was trying to make was that NE and SE Iowa (and SE Minnesota) could benefit from more Interstate access.

I think SE Iowa is pretty well served. 34 is 4-lane from Ottumwa into Illinois; 63 is 4-lane from Ottumwa to Osky, then 163 is 4-lane the rest of the way to Pleasant Hill. 27 is 4-lane from I-80 to Missouri, and 61 is from I-80 to Keokuk. Any area that's more than 20 minutes from interstate access is sparsely populated enough that it would be hard to justify.

The only section I'd like to see be made 4-lane is 63 from Bloomfield to Ottumwa, and that's mostly for safety reasons because the people who commute on that road drive like maniacs. "Who cares that there might be an Amish buggy just over this hill? I'm going to crest it at 70 mph anyway!" It would also better connect Iowa with Columbia, Missouri, as well. Much of 63 is already 4-lane on the Missouri side.

[financebirder]

Originally Posted by mustang84

I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City also badly needs to be widened to six lanes.

I agree with that entirely. I remember saying 10 years ago that I-380 between CR and IC needed to be widened to 6 lanes. I think that has to be one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Iowa. I remember traveling 85 mph+ heading north into CR in 2005 just to keep up with the flow of traffic and I was still getting passed!


As far as the Hwy 100 extension, I'll believe it when I see it. I remember all the news on that 10-15 years ago while I was still living in NE Iowa.


The new 36th St. exit of I-35 to Ankeny just opened up last week. There's talk of making a bypass around the north side of Des Moines in the next several years as well, roughly from 65/5 in Altoona north towards Elkhart and then over to Polk City and across the Mile Long Bridge to Hwy 141.