Major construction on I-35/80 and Hickman Road to cause detours
Construction at I-35/80 and Hickman Road is shifting into high gear this spring, leading to major detours for drivers on the west side of the metro.
From the air, it's easy to see how vast the DOT interstate project is along I-35/80. The $94 million plan aims to widen the highway lanes and bridges north and south of Hickman Road.
By 2028, the final touch will be a new diverging diamond intersection running under the wider interstate at Hickman. This stretch of interstate, which sees 100,000 vehicles a day, is the busiest in Iowa. The goal is to make more room for all that traffic.
"I think it's dangerous because it's so busy," said Dave Kraayenbrink, a driver. "That has become a mess a couple of times throughout the day, especially in the afternoons."
The DOT has already begun moving dirt to build up room for extra outside lanes and wider bridges on I-35/80. Traffic will shift lanes from time to time during phase one of construction this summer. New white lane markings are visible. The DOT is also closing interstate ramps during the project, sometimes for just one night, sometimes for much longer.
"We have some ramps that will be closed for 100 days, some for 90, some for 110. It depends on which ramp it is," said Frank Leong, DOT construction engineer.
Detours and ramp closures will be announced two weeks ahead of time, so plan ahead.
"All these projects will alleviate traffic times we have for people and make it a safer freeway for everybody to use," Leong said.
Different parts of the interstate between the West Mixmaster and Highway 141 will be closed overnight this week.