Iowa DOT delays Scott County Interstate 80 expansion plans

Rising costs have prompted the Iowa Department of Transportation to delay a study to look at widening Interstate 80 through Scott County. For years, the state DOT has had plans to look at expanding I-80 to six lanes between Iowa City and the Mississippi River in LeClaire, and a part of that process has involved […]

Rising costs have prompted the Iowa Department of Transportation to delay a study to look at widening Interstate 80 through Scott County. For years, the state DOT has had plans to look at expanding I-80 to six lanes between Iowa City and the Mississippi River in LeClaire, and a part of that process has involved looking at the stretch of road between Interstate 280 and the river.

However, rising construction costs over the past two years have prompted a reassessment of the project’s timing. Iowa DOT officials say that they still plan to look at expansion of I-80 between Iowa City and the Mississippi River, but rising costs have had an impact on the speed with which they’re able to move forward. “I think we’ve just had to reset some of our timing of how quickly we think we can get that done,” said Stuart Anderson, director of the transportation development division at the Iowa DOT. Mr. Anderson said they had to delay a dozen projects in the DOT’s latest five-year plan, which was approved by the state transportation commission in June. Meanwhile, several other projects were identified as not fully funded. The DOT's five-year plan includes a couple of major Interstate 80 projects in Scott County. They include the reconstruction of the I-80 interchange at Middle Road, which is a key priority for the City of Bettendorf because of the rapidly growing commercial development in the area. Officials say that intersection will be rebuilt to accommodate a six-lane I-80. In addition, the DOT's five-year plan includes $50 million for Iowa’s share of replacing the Interstate-80 bridge. The Illinois DOT is leading that project. Expanding I-80 to six lanes in this area is a longer-term proposition, and Iowa DOT officials said they didn’t want to get too far ahead in their planning work. “You can do planning studies too early, because they do have a life cycle,” Mr. Anderson said. Denise Bulat, executive director of the Bi-State Regional Commission, said local transportation officials were informed by the DOT of its decision this spring. She and a contingent of staff from some of the cities in the area went to the transportation commission meeting in June. They reiterated that they would still like to see the Iowa DOT move forward with making I-80 six lanes here, along with building improvements to interchanges along the interstate.

Ms. Bulat said local officials have been told in the past that widening I-80 would have to be done in sections – and that one of the first pieces to be done would be improving interchanges. “So now, what we’re going to do is try to focus on those interchanges,” she said. With the Middle Road interchange funded, the top priority is the interchange at I-80 and U.S. Route 61, which has long been a safety concern. However, Ms. Bulat added additional economic development at the Interstate 74 and I-80 interchange could push it forward as a priority for both Davenport and Bettendorf. Drivers on Interstate 80 in eastern Iowa have long recognized that the road is a busy one, especially with truck traffic. In the Iowa City region, where development along I-80 has grown significantly, widening the road to six lanes has already occurred. And a stretch of I-80 from about Iowa Highway 1 to approximately West Branch also is in the DOT’s five-year plan to be expanded to six lanes. Construction on that section of road is expected to occur next year. It’s not clear when planning on a widened I-80 in Scott County might begin again. But the Iowa DOT has projected that traffic will continue to grow here. Average daily vehicle traffic on I-80 west of U.S. 61 is expected to double by 2045, according to DOT figures, while volumes on the interstate east of I-74 are expected to go up by 80% by 2045. Several of the bridges that span I-80 in Scott County also have been deemed functionally obsolete.