I-35 / US 30 Flyover Progress

[VeloClone]

That and space is ******* huge.

You could probably put every car in existence in the space between the earth and the moon and probably not be within miles of anyone.

Yeah, but the moon isn't that big (less surface area than there is in Asia) and Apollo's lunar rover only drives on the surface of the moon.

https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-video-apollo-16-lunar-rover-drive-on-moon-2017-11

 

[06_CY]

Once these are completed, redesign the south 35/80 to west 80 merge lanes on 80. That left lane ending so quickly is terrible.

 

[alarson]

Once these are completed, redesign the south 35/80 to west 80 merge lanes on 80. That left lane ending so quickly is terrible.

The whole area on the west side is a mess, to be honest.

Getting on northbound from university is rough. You have to merge almost immediately into a lane that is often already full of traffic looking to exit at Hickman, and then merge again almost immediately after that if you don't want to get shunted off to Hickman Rd. That can be rough during the busier times of day.

 

[Pat]

That flyover ramp will be 10 times safer than the old clover leaf design. 35 N merging onto 30 West was absolutely stupid.

That cloverleaf made perfect sense with a population of 40,000 and a speed limit of 55mph. It’s been broken for quite a while.

 

[mj4cy]

That cloverleaf made perfect sense with a population of 40,000 and a speed limit of 55mph. It’s been broken for quite a while.

The biggest problem originally was that they didn't put a third lane in that you could enter/exit so you had to try to get into traffic at full speed coming off a cloverleaf. Happy this will be ready for football season.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Once these are completed, redesign the south 35/80 to west 80 merge lanes on 80. That left lane ending so quickly is terrible.

Trying to loop onto 235 east from 35/80 south is the worst. It's a really dangerous transition if you aren't used to doing it every day.

 

[Cyched]

That flyover ramp will be 10 times safer than the old clover leaf design. 35 N merging onto 30 West was absolutely stupid.

To be fair, it works great when there’s no traffic

 

[beentherebefore]

Remember that when these roads were originally designed, the interchanges were all basically in rural areas.

Lots of changes and growth since the 1960s.

The flyovers will be welcome. And more interchange improvements are needed in DSM area.

 

[Buster28]

That cloverleaf made perfect sense with a population of 40,000 and a speed limit of 55mph. It’s been broken for quite a while.

And, consider it was an "interestate" that didn't actually go anywhere beyond Story City or Osceola at the time. When I was a kid, there was very little traffic on 35. You'd see maybe five other vehicles on the road in either direction.

 

[wxman1]

Now get the 380/80 interchange done.

 

[Cycsk]

Looking at it on street view, you actually have until a bit after the exit (just after the bridge) to enter the main US 30 lanes.

I35S to US30W has to merge in almost immediately into the right onramp lane that came from I35N
I35N to US30W onramp has 2 lanes:
The right lane you merge into the left lane or get shunted off onto Dayton
The left lane, which ends just past the Dayton bridge.

It also looks like if traffic showed a need they could probably extend that lane past the dayton onramp if they needed to, plenty of room in the area at least until you hit the skunk river bridge, where i imagine adding a third lane gets quite a bit more expensive. Not that i think it'll be needed. That's a long stretch for people to merge into, especially if there's some police assistance on gameday.

I never underestimate the timidity and lack of discernment by Iowa drivers.

P.S. I'm from Chicago, so that may be a factor in my perspective.

 

[c.y.c.l.o.n.e.s]

Remember that when these roads were originally designed, the interchanges were all basically in rural areas.

Lots of changes and growth since the 1960s.

The flyovers will be welcome. And more interchange improvements are needed in DSM area.

Yep. I remember when Valley West Mall was on the edge of the city and what is now the Marriott on Jordan Creek Parkway was nicknamed the "Nowhere Motel" because there was nothing else within miles of it except for a Standard gas station - and I'm not THAT old.

Edit: The Nowhere Motel went bankrupt at least once because it was too far out of the city.

 

[alarson]

Yep. I remember when Valley West Mall was on the edge of the city and what is now the Marriott on Jordan Creek Parkway was nicknamed the "Nowhere Motel" because there was nothing else within miles of it except for a Standard gas station - and I'm not THAT old.

Edit: The Nowhere Motel went bankrupt at least once because it was too far out of the city.

Yeah, i remember when we moved to Waukee when i was a kid in 93, and the nearest grocery store was the hyvee by Valley West, and as you mentioned, that marriott i think was a super 8 and it was out there all alone with a mcdonalds (that was also the closest fast food option for Waukee)

 

[Pat]

The biggest problem originally was that they didn't put a third lane in that you could enter/exit so you had to try to get into traffic at full speed coming off a cloverleaf. Happy this will be ready for football season.

That’s because there was no traffic. It made perfect sense at the time.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

Yep. I remember when Valley West Mall was on the edge of the city and what is now the Marriott on Jordan Creek Parkway was nicknamed the "Nowhere Motel" because there was nothing else within miles of it except for a Standard gas station - and I'm not THAT old.

Edit: The Nowhere Motel went bankrupt at least once because it was too far out of the city.

I had my bachelor party there 30 years ago this month. Fond memories ...

 

[JP4CY]

I had my bachelor party there 30 years ago this month. Fond memories ...

 

[DeftOne]

The concern I have with the 141 flyover is that people are going to run right into sitting traffic because of all of the stupid stop lights... The design makes sense on paper but there is no traffic flow through that stretch of 141. It is going to be a mess.

There will be automated flashing warning lights on the flyover bridge to warn you of slow or stopped traffic on 141. The intent is to give enough advanced warning for people to slow down, which is especially important given the horizontal curvature of the flyover which limits sight distance.

 

[ArgentCy]

Trying to loop onto 235 east from 35/80 south is the worst. It's a really dangerous transition if you aren't used to doing it every day.

That is the same as the Ames exit but busier.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

That is the same as the Ames exit but busier.

Sort of but you also have Universtiy involved in all of it too. And it's WAY busier than the 35/30 interchange.

 

[mj4cy]

Sort of but you also have Universtiy involved in all of it too. And it's WAY busier than the 35/30 interchange.

Yep they need to change this to a fly over (or a fly under with tunnels as I've seen done in other cities). There is space there with a little innovation.