NorthIowaToday.com

Founded in 2010

News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region

Iowa DOT cautions travelers about work zones over Memorial Day holiday

AMES, Iowa – May 22, 2012 – Travel during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday may be slowed by road construction, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Several projects on Iowa’s interstate and state roadways may warrant advance planning on the part of drivers.

Central Iowa
Construction of a new bridge on Iowa 4 in Jefferson over the Union Pacific Railroad Co.’s property is in progress. Iowa 4 is closed between Reed Street and Central Avenue. Traffic is under detour using city streets in the immediate vicinity of the work.
Westbound U.S. 20 traffic between Iowa 17 and U.S. 69 in Hamilton County will be in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the eastbound lanes to accommodate reconstruction of the westbound pavement.

North central/Northeast Iowa
Pavement reconstruction of 6.5 miles of southbound Interstate 380 between the east and west interchanges of I-380 and U.S. 20 in Waterloo has created a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the northbound lanes. The southbound exit and entrance ramps for the River Forest Road and Raymond Road (Black Hawk County Road V-49) interchanges are closed.
Bridge repair work is underway on westbound Iowa 57 over the Cedar River overflow in Cedar Falls. Traffic is reduced to one lane through the work area.
An interchange construction project on U.S. 218 at Janesville has restricted northbound traffic to one lane. Bremer County Road C-50 is closed on the east side of U.S. 218. Temporary traffic signals are in place at the intersections of U.S. 218 and Bremer County Road C-50 (Barrick Road) and U.S. 218 and Marquis Road (Seventh Street.)
Pavement reconstruction has closed U.S. 218 in La Porte City. Traffic is detoured from the junction of U.S. 218 and Iowa 8, west on Iowa 8 to the west junction with Iowa 21, then north on Iowa 21 to Black Hawk County Road D-46, and then east to U.S. 218.
U.S. 63 traffic south of Iowa 3 is in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern for the U.S. 63 four-lane construction project, including the U.S. 63/Iowa 3 interchange. Motorists on U.S. 63 will be placed in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern using the west ramps at the interchange. There will be a four-way stop in place where the ramps intersect with Iowa 3.
In Bremer County west of Tripoli, Iowa 93 is closed from Midway Avenue to U.S. 63. Traffic is detoured beginning at the junction of Bremer County Road C-33 east to Bremer County Road V-43, and then north to Iowa 93 in Tripoli.
Construction on Iowa 122 at the east edge of Mason City, from Illinois Avenue to Cerro Gordo County Road S-56, has closed the outside westbound lane.

Northwest Iowa
Iowa 3 is closed for widening and resurfacing from U.S. 75 to Iowa 404 west of Le Mars. Traffic is detoured.
Pavement reconstruction of southbound I-29 from I-129 to Sergeant Bluff has created a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the northbound lanes between mileposts 141 and 144.
Pavement reconstruction of I-29 in Sioux City near the Iowa 12 (Riverside Boulevard) interchange has restricted traffic to two lanes in each direction for the 2 miles adjacent to the South Dakota border.
Bridge reconstruction on U.S. 77 in Sioux City has restricted traffic to a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the northbound lanes of U.S. 77 over I-29.
Bridge reconstruction on U.S. 59 south of Denison in Crawford County has restricted the roadway to one lane. Traffic is being maintained with temporary traffic signals.
Southwest Iowa
A bridge deck overlay on U.S. 30 west of Missouri Valley in Harrison County has reduced the roadway to one lane. Traffic is being maintained with temporary traffic signals. The open lane has an 11-foot width restriction.
Staged bridge construction on U.S. 30 northeast of Woodbine in Harrison County has reduced the roadway to one lane. Traffic is being maintained with temporary traffic signals.
Bridge construction on I-80 over the West Nishnabotna River near Avoca in Pottawattamie County has closed the westbound lanes between mileposts 34 and 40. Traffic has been shifted to a two-lane, two-way pattern in the eastbound lanes.
Bridge construction has closed northbound I-29 in Fremont County between mileposts 21 and 25. Traffic has been shifted to a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the southbound lanes.
Asphalt resurfacing in the northbound lanes of I-29 in Fremont County from milepost 10 to 17 has traffic shifted to a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the southbound lanes.
Bridge deck overlays at two locations on U.S. 71 south of Atlantic in Cass County have reduced the roadway to one lane. Traffic is being maintained with temporary traffic signals.
A new bridge deck is being placed on the eastbound I-80 Wiota interchange bridge at milepost 64 and a new bridge over Crooked Creek is being built at milepost 69 in Cass County. Traffic is shifted to a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the westbound lanes from milepost 60 to 70. The eastbound ramps at Wiota are closed and a detour is in place for Cass County Road N-28.
Iowa 148 between Massena and Anita in Cass County is closed for highway repair work. Traffic should follow the marked detour.

South central Iowa
Northbound I-35 in Clarke County from just north of Iowa 152 to just north of Squaw Creek is closed for bridge replacements on the Squaw and South Squaw rivers. Traffic is routed in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the southbound lanes.
Southbound I-35 at the South River in southern Warren County is closed for bridge replacement. Traffic is routed in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the northbound lanes.
Traffic on Iowa 5 near Moravia is reduced to one lane for bridge repair work. Traffic is being maintained with temporary traffic signals.

Eastern Iowa
Pavement reconstruction on I-80 in Iowa City between mileposts 244 and 248 has shifted traffic onto the median and eastbound lanes to accommodate paving operations on the westbound lanes. Two 12-foot lanes are available in each direction with narrow shoulders and temporary barrier rail. All ramps remain open to traffic.
Bridge repairs on I-380 from the I-80 interchange north 2 miles will restrict lane widths in both directions. Traffic will be shifted to the inside lanes of I-380 where two 10-foot wide lanes will be available in both directions. In addition, all four loop ramps at the I-380/ I-80 interchange are closed and detours are in effect. Westbound I-80 to southbound U.S. 218 traffic will be detoured to I-80 exit 237 (Tiffin interchange). Southbound I-380 to eastbound I-80 traffic will be also be detoured to the Tiffin interchange on I-80. Eastbound I-80 to northbound I-380 traffic will be detoured to Melrose Avenue on U.S. 218. Northbound I-380 to westbound I-80 traffic will be detoured to I-380 exit 4 (Penn Street interchange). Temporary traffic signals are in operation at the Tiffin and Melrose Avenue interchanges.
Pavement reconstruction on eastbound I-280 in Davenport has closed the eastbound lanes between mileposts 1.6 and 5.7. Traffic is being directed to a two-lane, two-way pattern on the westbound lanes in this area. There will be a 12-foot wide lane available in each direction. All ramps remain open to traffic.
Reconstruction of U.S. 30/U.S. 67 in Clinton will reduce traffic to a two-lane, two-way pattern between 14th Street and 25th Place. There will be an 11-foot wide lane available in each direction. South 14th Street is closed north of U.S. 30 and traffic is being detoured to 22nd Place.
There are many other ongoing construction and maintenance projects affecting traffic on state, county and local road systems. Details of all current Iowa DOT construction projects can be found at www.511ia.org.

Tips for driving safely in work zones
– Expect the unexpected. Normal speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people may be working on or near the road.
– Slow down and do not tailgate. Speeding is one of the major causes of work zone crashes. Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead. The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear-end collision.
– Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and road workers and their equipment.
– Pay attention to the signs. Warning signs are there to help you and other drivers move safely through the work zone. Observe the posted signs until you see the one that reads “End Road Work.”
– Obey flaggers. The flagger knows what is best for moving traffic safely in the work zone. A flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, so you can be cited for disobeying his or her directions.
Stay alert and minimize distractions. Dedicate your full attention to the roadway and avoid changing radio stations, using cell phones, texting or other distractions while driving in a work zone. Texting while driving is illegal in Iowa.
– Keep up with the traffic flow. Motorists can help maintain traffic flow and posted speeds by merging as soon as possible. Do not drive right up to the lane closure and then try to merge.
– Be patient and stay calm. Work zones are not there to inconvenience travelers. Remember, road workers are improving the road for your use.
– Watch for persons wearing high visibility (HiViz) apparel. All persons are required by federal law to wear HiViz apparel when in highway work zones.
– Prepare for your trip to take a little more time. Check radio, TV or websites (www.511ia.org),  call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide), or follow the Iowa DOT on Twitter @StatewideIA511 for traffic information. Expect delays and leave early so you can reach your destination on time.
– Be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones.
– Buckle up. Iowa law requires all persons to be buckled up in the front seat and all persons under age 18 to be buckled up, regardless of vehicle seating position.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Even more news:

Watercooler

Need help with your website?
Call your local professional,
Breakthrough Web Design:
515-897-1144
or go to
BreakthroughWebDesign.com

Copyright 2024 – Internet Marketing Pros. of Iowa, Inc.
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x