Resurfacing project aims to reduce crashes on Interstate 380 'S-curve'

A road crew will soon begin paving the way for safer travel along Interstate 380 through downtown Cedar Rapids.

It's a unique project that the Iowa Department of Transportation said has never been done in the state. It's called a high friction surface treatment, and according to road workers, other states have found success in applying the treatment to dangerous areas.

The idea gained steam back in 2008, when emergency and state highway teams conducted a road safety audit. The group decided something needed to change on the I-380 "S-curve," between H Avenue and Diagonal Drive in Cedar Rapids.

There have been a number of serious crashes on the downtown portion of I-380. From 2008 to 2011, police records show nearly 90 crashes in the S-curve area.

Many emergency responders, like paramedic Nathan Massell, say they hope the project reduces the number of crashes. Not many people know the S-curve like Massell does. He travels it at least half a dozen times a day in his ambulance.

"It's a really dangerous area that we have to deal with all the time," Massell said. "We travel it quite often, going from hospital to hospital.”

Many times, however, he finds himself driving to the S-curve instead of through it.

"We do see a lot of fatalities out there, along with very nasty car accidents. And it's a lot of it stems from having bad road surfaces,” Massell said.

The Iowa DOT agrees that it's time for a change. Over time, tires have worn out some portions of the road's surface. That means there's less friction between the car tires and the pavement. Tires aren't sticking to the roadway as they should, making the curvy stretch very dangerous.

"We came up with the project to work on the south approaches of the S-curve bridge, both the northbound and southbound directions,” said Iowa DOT transportation planner Cathy Cutler.

A team will come from out of state to apply the high friction surface treatment.

"A polymer concrete application and some sharper, harder aggregate on top to increase that friction number and the harder aggregate means the surface won't wear out as fast,” Cutler said.

Officials hope the treatment will prevent tires from slipping during wet or dry conditions and reduce the number of crashes. That's something Massell is eagerly anticipating.

"With the speeds and angles of the S-curve, it would be beneficial to have,” Massell said.

The price tag on the project is about $500,000. It's funded with state and federal money.

Work is expected to start on the S-curve Monday. It will take place overnight for about six nights. The DOT said it would work on one lane at a time, so traffic can still travel on I-380 as construction gets under way.