CLEAR LAKE — Drivers using the busy Interstate 35 and U.S. 18 interchange south of Clear Lake will need to take a different route Monday, October 19, when southbound entrance and exit ramps close for pavement repairs.
The closures at Exit 190, where I-35 meets the Avenue of the Saints, will begin at 7:30 a.m., weather permitting. The Iowa Department of Transportation expects the work to take one day, with the ramps remaining closed until repairs at the ramp access points are finished.
The announcement concerns the southbound ramps at the interchange, rather than a shutdown of I-35 itself.
How to get around the I-35 ramp closures
There will be no marked detour route. A digital message board will provide guidance, according to the Iowa DOT’s Mason City construction office.
Drivers traveling west on U.S. 18 who want to head south on I-35 should first take I-35 north to Exit 193. They should use that interchange to turn around and enter southbound I-35.
Drivers already traveling south on I-35 who want to head east on U.S. 18 should continue south past Exit 190 to Exit 188. They should use that interchange to turn around, take I-35 north and return to Exit 190 to reach eastbound U.S. 18.
Motorists should allow extra travel time and make those direction changes using the interchanges.
Where the closure will take place
The affected interchange is Exit 190 on I-35 at U.S. 18/Avenue of the Saints, south of Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County.
View the I-35 and U.S. 18 interchange near Clear Lake on Google Maps. The map identifies the location; motorists should follow the DOT’s alternate-route instructions and posted guidance during the closure.
The ramp repairs are another road project for area drivers to plan around. NIT has also covered Mason City’s apology over prolonged Pennsylvania Avenue construction and a downtown intersection closure.
Check conditions before leaving
The DOT urges drivers to slow down, follow signs, leave room between vehicles and wear seat belts while traveling through work areas.
Earlier this year, NIT reported on a Northern Iowa I-35 work-zone rollover that injured four people and left a child needing an airlift, underscoring the importance of staying alert as traffic slows or changes lanes.
Drivers can check Iowa 511 for current closures and travel conditions before heading out. The October 19 work remains weather-dependent, and the DOT has not announced an exact reopening time.
Closure location: Southbound I-35 ramps at U.S. 18/Avenue of the Saints, Exit 190. Map shows the interchange, not the temporary alternate routes.