Articles Tagged: Iowa Department of Transportation

Iowa’s highways are built to withstand a wide variety of vehicles, from compact cars to eighteen-wheeler semis and large farm equipment. They do have their limits, though, and according to the Iowa State Patrol, that limit is about 80,000 pounds.

The Iowa Department of Transportation plans to reopen the Penn Street northbound I-380 ramp (Exit 4) in North Liberty on Friday. It has been closed since June.

As plans to replace the Burlington Street Bridge progress, the entities involved in the project are determining how to balance different community priorities for the main connection between the west side of Iowa City and downtown.

Iowa outpaces all other states with the highest number of bridges classified as being in poor condition, but the Iowa Department of Transportation’s work over the past 15 years to decrease the number of poor-rated bridges has led to big improvements for state-owned bridges.

Black Hawk Bridge, a historic structure that links Lansing, Iowa, and western Wisconsin over the Mississippi River, will be demolished later this year, more than a year before construction of a replacement bridge is scheduled to be completed.

A 1980s DOT and DNR partnership put nesting boxes on the backs of Iowa highway signs. Now, they are being taken down

Also in this week’s Government Notes, beginning Monday, the Boyson Road bridge over I-380 and all four ramps will close for 20 working days.

Over the past 200 years, Iowa last lost 99 percent of its prairie land, 75 percent of its woodlands and forests and about 260 plant species are considered endangered and threatened. A new report says implementation of “connectivity corridors” would help protect Iowa wildlife from extinction.

On July 1, Iowa will join 30 other states in outlawing any phone use while driving that isn’t hands-free. The law was passed earlier this year, and will replace Iowa’s current rules about phone usage while driving, which law enforcement officers say were difficult to enforce, since only texting was banned.

Drivers can expect some delays and disruption at the Interstate 380 exit and entrance ramps at Boyson Road in Hiawatha, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Manchester construction office.

The Iowa 9/Wisconsin 82 bridge over the Mississippi River between Lansing and Crawford County Wisconsin reopened Monday. The bridge was closed May 17 after sensors detected movement in the bridge. A two-week closure is expected later this summer to help facilitate construction of a new bridge.

The state’s five-year plan for transportation infrastructure features billions of dollars in planned investments in Iowa road, bridge, aviation and railway infrastructure, construction and repair projects.

The historic Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing is closed again after sensors detected it was swaying too much, forcing drivers who need to cross the river to detour at least 70 miles out their way to take other bridges instead.

Also, in the Capitol Notebook, lawmakers advance a bill allowing psilocybin prescriptions in Iowa if FDA approves the substance.

In this week’s installment of The Gazette’s Curious Iowa, we answer questions about why Iowa doesn’t have toll roads, how the state funds road improvement projects, and whether electric vehicles contribute to the fuel tax.