Iowa DOT presents 5-year plan to Transportation Commission

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The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) present the draft of its five-year plan, the FY 2015-2019 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program, to the Iowa Transportation Commission on Tuesday.

The Iowa DOT program includes investments in aviation, transit, rail, trails and highways.

The agency says the highway program is a “major component” of the plan, with about $2.7 billion forecast to be available over the next five five years for highway right of way and construction.

Iowa DOT notes that it aims to achieve stewardship (such as safety, maintenance and modernization) of the state’s existing highway system, so it has included in the plan more than $1.2 billion for modernization of the existing highway system and for enhanced highway safety features.

Also included in the program is more than $900 million for state-owned bridges.

Interstate investments include I-29 in Sioux City, the interstate system in Council Bluffs and the I-74 Mississippi River bridge replacement in Bettendorf.

The agency also wants to focus on developing and constructing capacity and system enhancement projects, and the plan includes multiple one- to two-year projects that address safety and condition needs. Those projects include:

  • Iowa 3 in Dubuque County from Pfeiler Road to Tollgate Road

  • U.S. 20 in Dubuque County at Swiss Valley Road

  • U.S. 63 in Wapello County from 1 mile south of U.S. 34 north to U.S. 34 in Ottumwa

  • U.S. 65 in Jasper County at the Iowa 117/330 intersection

  • Iowa 92 in Muscatine County from U.S. 61 to Iowa 38 in Muscatine

  • Iowa 98 in Van Buren County from Leando to Iowa 16

  • Iowa 122 in Cerro Gordo County from Monroe Avenue to Carolina Avenue in Mason City

  • Iowa 141 in Polk County from Iowa 44 to I-35

  • Iowa 934 in Black Hawk County from Iowa 58 to Midway Drive in Cedar Falls

Several multiyear corridor improvements that maintain the same schedule as programmed were also included:

  • U.S. 20 Woodbury County from east of Moville to Correctionville

  • U.S. 30 Linn County, Mount Vernon and Lisbon bypass

  • U.S. 61 Louisa County from south of Iowa 92 to Muscatine County

  • Iowa 100 Linn County from U.S. 30 to Edgewood Road in Cedar Rapids

  • Southwest Arterial in Dubuque

Iowa DOT notes that availability of funds for these projects could be affected by reauthorization or Highway Trust Fund insolvency. The current highway bill, MAP-21, expires Sept. 30. Congress will need to pass a new highway bill before MAP-21’s expiration for the projects to move forward. Another factor creating uncertainty is the U.S. DOT’s projection that the Highway Trust Fund, which provides a large portion of the state’s highway funding, will likely run out of money by late August — a month before the current highway bill expires.

The Commission is scheduled to review Iowa DOT’s plan in June.