MASON CITY, Iowa – March 5, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will soon begin reconstruction of 6.49 miles of southbound Interstate 380 from the U.S. 20 interchange to west of River Forest Road in Waterloo. (Note: While I-380 runs east and west at this location, the entire route runs north and south, so the road designation remains north- and southbound.)
The scope of the project includes replacing the current pavement with 11.5-inch thick concrete and widening the current roadway 2 feet, creating a 14-foot driving lane and 12-foot passing lane. All bridge approaches and guardrails will be replaced. Safety will be enhanced by replacing the pier protection in the medians with high-tension cable guardrail.
The southbound interchange ramps at River Forest Road and Black Hawk County Road V-49 (Raymond Road) will close during reconstruction, while the Evansdale Drive interchange will remain open throughout construction. Median crossovers will be used to move southbound traffic to the northbound lanes.
There will be two gravel surfaced emergency parking areas in the northbound lanes available for use if a vehicle becomes disabled while in the construction area, allowing traffic to continue to flow.
This project is expected to begin in late April with patching in the northbound lanes and construction of the median crossovers. This work is estimated to take four weeks, weather permitting.
In mid-May, southbound traffic will be switched over to the northbound lanes while reconstruction of the southbound lanes takes place. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained throughout the project. This is expected to last into the fall. Because of the reduced number of lanes, travelers in the area are strongly encouraged to find alternative routes while the project is underway to avoid any delays and traffic congestion.
A traffic information system that includes traffic management cameras, road sensors and dynamic message boards will be used to detect trouble spots, dispatch services and help commuters avoid backups. Travelers will be able to view real-time conditions at www.511ia.org.
