Iowa Toll Road?

[cycfan1]

Yes what happened to that money. Before anything is done the DOT needs to look at how bad they are getting screwed by contractors. Then they need to look at how they spend money. They can afford to plant, tear out, and replant trees over and over yet they cannot afford to mow the medians.

This exactly ten times over.
When i worked a minimum wage college landscaping job - made $7/hr and it sucked.... however, the one time a month we would end up working for the DOT - would make $20+/hr. It was great... but i wasn't any better at my job or more efficient. I'm not sure if this was due DOT mandating those wages, or if since my employer could pay that out, could rebill DOT much higher. Regardless whatever they were paying us was a giant waste of money for what we ended up doing (ditch work around highway overpasses)

 

[Trice]

I think it is in the long range plan to make 30 4 lanes border to border. I know they're working on the bypass around Mt Vernon and Lisbon.

Last I saw our little stretch around Clarence was among the lowest priority. Like 2030 or something. Finishing 30 will definitely take some traffic off of 80.

Do they have plans to widen 30 west of Ogden? I know it's a priority on the eastern part of the state but I didn't think it was in the western part. In fact I saw a story not long ago about the bridge entering Grand Junction being rebuilt. I would hope they wouldn't do that if they're just going to build a bypass in 10 years.

EDIT: okay, did some quick searching and it appears to be moving in that direction http://www.carrollspaper.com/Conten...tight-vote-DOT-boosts-Highway-30/-3/449/25076

 

[VeloClone]

It's taken over 40 yrs and 20 as a four lane still isn't finished. If the DOT would finish it, it would get used. Anything that promotes growth to the rest of Iowa quickly gets shot down by the QC to DM corridor. The DOT did a whole redo of the loop around DM, in less time than was spent trying to finish 20.

It isn't just the QC DM corridor that has stood in the way of the highway 20 project. For years 20 went about 16 miles out of its way around Iowa Falls, Ackley and Parkersburg because local conservation activists were standing in the way of it traversing the Iowa River Greenbelt.

 

[CloneGuy8]

 

[IcSyU]

This exactly ten times over.
When i worked a minimum wage college landscaping job - made $7/hr and it sucked.... however, the one time a month we would end up working for the DOT - would make $20+/hr. It was great... but i wasn't any better at my job or more efficient. I'm not sure if this was due DOT mandating those wages, or if since my employer could pay that out, could rebill DOT much higher. Regardless whatever they were paying us was a giant waste of money for what we ended up doing (ditch work around highway overpasses)

I'm guessing it was a prevailing wage job.

 

[kingcy]

You may have heard we conducted a study stating tolling on I-80 was a viable option. A study is one thing, but when we look at the big picture and all the considerations that includes, the DOT does not intend to pursue tolling at this time.

Here’s a few reasons why:
• It doesn’t work well in our open, farm-to-market grid system and pushes traffic to roads that are not built for interstate traffic.
• It’s not authorized by state or federal law.
• It’s not consistent with our “pay as you go” approach to road and bridge funding.
• It’s not an option supported by industry groups or the public.

 

[awd4cy]

I do think between Ames and Des Moines as well as between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids need to be widened, but I don’t think all of I-80 needs it. Many are complaining about being slown down a grand total of a couple minutes across the state. Used to make the drive to QC to Des Moines all the time and it’s not that bad.

 

[stormchaser2014]

I'd take I-80 or I-35 over I-90 any day.

 

[MeanDean]

How about a toll for vehicles with Illinois plates.

I would agree to this, but add in any state that has toll roads. FL, NJ, NY, KS, IN OH PA. Probably others. If your state has all free roads, ours are free to you. If you charge for your interstate highways, pull over here and pay up.

 

[BoxsterCy]

 

[DeftOne]

This exactly ten times over.
When i worked a minimum wage college landscaping job - made $7/hr and it sucked.... however, the one time a month we would end up working for the DOT - would make $20+/hr. It was great... but i wasn't any better at my job or more efficient. I'm not sure if this was due DOT mandating those wages, or if since my employer could pay that out, could rebill DOT much higher. Regardless whatever they were paying us was a giant waste of money for what we ended up doing (ditch work around highway overpasses)

Generally, it's exactly the opposite for engineering consultants in my experience. Our billable rates are significantly less working for state DOT's in comparison to private (non-government) clients. Which always makes me laugh (angrily)...they pinch pennies on the design fee when it's pretty much peanuts compared to the construction cost. But, whattaya gonna do...

 

[CNECloneFan]

You serious, Clark?

I hate driving I-80 because it's just two semis governed at the same speed driving 65 miles per hour side-by-*******-side and clogging up traffic from Davenport to Omaha.

I'd be 100% in favor of this.

Not to quibble, but it is typically 1 semi driving 65 mph, and the other Hell bent on passing him at 66 mph. Until they encounter a hill, in which case we subtract 10 mph from the equation...

 

[DeftOne]

Just to expand on this further...

From the Iowa DOT's Facebook page:

You may have heard we conducted a study stating tolling on I-80 was a viable option. A study is one thing, but when we look at the big picture and all the considerations that includes, the DOT does not intend to pursue tolling at this time.

Here’s a few reasons why:
• It doesn’t work well in our open, farm-to-market grid system and pushes traffic to roads that are not built for interstate traffic.
• It’s not authorized by state or federal law.
• It’s not consistent with our “pay as you go” approach to road and bridge funding.
• It’s not an option supported by industry groups or the public.

 

[Cyguy94]

How about three other projects that need updating instead:

1) Highway 17 between Wesley and Eagle Grove
2) Highway 18 between Clear Lake to Spencer
3) Blow up Mason City...has to be the worst city to drive through in Iowa besides Sac City

1) Goldfield to Eagle Grove will be done this year along with a large project in Eagle Grove itself. There will also be some work done to the intersection where the slaughterhouse is located.

2) Several sections are in the five year plan. Subject to change!

3) Prepare for substantial road construction in Mason City over the next 4 years particularly in the central part of town on IA 122 and north and south ends of US 65.

Happy travels!

 

[Gorm]

I'm a bit of a road nerd. Gotta make a shout out to one of my favorites sites for Iowa road info.

http://iowahighwayends.net/

Very interesting write up on the 1968 Iowa Highway plan:

http://iowahighwayends.net/maps/1968plan.html

 

[isufbcurt]

This exactly ten times over.
When i worked a minimum wage college landscaping job - made $7/hr and it sucked.... however, the one time a month we would end up working for the DOT - would make $20+/hr. It was great... but i wasn't any better at my job or more efficient. I'm not sure if this was due DOT mandating those wages, or if since my employer could pay that out, could rebill DOT much higher. Regardless whatever they were paying us was a giant waste of money for what we ended up doing (ditch work around highway overpasses)

That is due to a Federal law called the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis–Bacon_Act_of_1931

 

[madguy30]

The problem isn’t a lack of money. As this got wasted too, they’d just raise rates.

Raising the speed limit already kind of passively does this although I'm not sure where that money goes either.

It varies on vehicles, but generally the faster you go, the gas mileage goes down, and the more often you have to fill up.

 

[DurangoCy]

Whether it needs to be widened is mostly subjective, but anecdotally the section from DSM to the river is one of the more congested interstate sections out there.

It's literally the exact opposite, and gets studied to death.

Iowa Traffic Counts - for those who care
http://iowadot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=0cce99afb78e4d3b9b24f8263717f910

Typical capacities
2 lane road (with auxiliary lanes) - 18,000 ADT
4 lane highway - 36,000ADT
6 lane highway - 54,000ADT

 

[DurangoCy]

I think in the next 10-20 years, self driving cars are going to make capacity improvements to the interstate system obsolete in most cases. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out.

 

[CloneGuy8]

Slightly OT, but why has Council Bluffs been under never-ending road construction for the past 10+ years?