Hunter
11/07/19
The Iowa Department of Transportation unveiled plans to widen I380 between Forevergreen Road in Coralville/North Liberty and Highway 30 Wednesday night.
During an open house at the North Liberty Community Center, representatives from the DOT informally presented their plans, which include widening of the lanes on the outside of the current two lanes, which would allow a possible fourth lane in the median if necessary at a later date.
The Gazette reports that the lanes would be installed on the inside at the Iowa River Bridge and the Highway 965 crossing to keep from impacting Coralville Lake and the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area significantly.
This project isn’t expected to start for several years; the DOT is focusing on the I80-I380 interchange project first. That construction isn’t expected to be complete until 2023.
Funding still needs to be approved by senior management at the DOT, and funding could start being set aside as early as 2021 if given the green light.
The DOT estimates that nearly 7000 commuters use that stretch of highway on a daily basis; total average daily traffic is now at over 50,000 vehicles, 8000 more than ten years ago.