Regional artist themed rest area going up on I-380

Work has begun on a project to replace the I-380 northbound rest area south of Cedar Rapids with a new building featuring a regional artists theme.

The rest area slated to open in about one year will feature landscapes and icons from the works of regional artist Grant Wood and others.

“It's really about regional artists in general, although Grant Wood would probably be the most famous,” said Mark Masteller, chief landscape architect for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Masteller said the design includes a freestanding gothic window structure, a key feature in Wood's iconic painting, “American Gothic,” in front of the rest area building.

The new rest area will be located to the north of the existing rest area, which was opened in 1975. It will be completed in about one year, Masteller said. The old building will remain open until that time.

Hackett Construction Co. of Muscatine has been awarded the contract for the $2.23 million project.

Masteller said the rest area will have an inside vending area and restrooms that can be divided into two so that once side can be cleaned while the other side remains open for public use. Each side will have nearly five times as many fixtures as the current restrooms.

The rest area is the 14th built in Iowa using the same basic configuration. The exterior and interior receive different design treatments to make them unique, Masteller said.

Replacement of the southbound I-380 rest area across from the northbound rest area is planned by the DOT, Masteller said, but is not in the DOT's current five-year construction program. The DOT has been replacing one interstate highway rest area per year.