Letter: Do not defund Tower Terrace Road project

Upon reading the story in the Feb. 12 Gazette 'I-380 interchange at risk as road money shifts,” I was concerned for the proposed Interstate 380 exit onto Tower Terrace Road. If they fund the street from C Avenue to Alburnett Road, I doubt the entire road plan from Interstate 380 to Highway 13 will ever be constructed. Special interests, it seems to me, want to cash in now - namely Cedar Rapids and Marion.

This new plan would leave the cities of Robins and Hiawatha and their future development plans go begging. What interest does Cedar Rapids or Marion have in the safety and flow of traffic in the Boyson Road, Center Point Road and Interstate 380 area? Plus countless hours have been put in to the planning; at least two decades. The longer they stall the more the cost.

I remember telling my children in 1970 that when the Milwaukee railroad was abandoned a new (Highway 100) road would be built under Edgewood Road and on to Highway 30 bypass. That was 50 years ago. The railroad viaduct excuse is a joke (or at least a stall) as we already have on grade crossing over tracks at Boyson Road and County Home Road, both with very high traffic counts.

Maybe Cedar Rapids should use the same logic and construct an overpass for First Avenue to go over the railroad tracks in their downtown. Come on, get real, we could use a little cooperation our way. Hiawatha and Robins have plans also.

Lee R. Overton

Hiawatha