On October 11, 2016 our metro communities; Hiawatha, Robins, Marion, Cedar Rapids and Linn County presented to the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) Commissioners in Dubuque the need for a third interchange along I-380 at Tower Terrace Road Bridge. Many of you have either read or heard us talk about our efforts to construct a Tower Terrace Interchange as another route to I-380 and relieving the Boyson Road traffic. This interchange is a priority to our communities due to safety concerns: cars lining up on the interstate creating confusion and the potential for accidents. Our daily numbers of 19,300 cars traveling through the Boyson Road Interchange are nearing the Interchange Justification Report of 2040 projections of 24,000.
As local officials we requested the IDOT Commission add the $20 million interchange project to their state plan in fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Our local groups have pledged $5 million – $4 million as a grant from the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization and $1 million from local communities – toward the proposed diamond interchange. As City Engineer John Bender said, “No one is sitting on their hands in this metro area, we’re all working together to get this constructed and it all comes back to the interchange at Tower Terrace. We’re all planning on that interchange being built.”
City Administrator Kim Downs provided the IDOT several letters of support for the project representing each of the communities, economic development groups and several local businesses. The local IDOT staff have received and placed the documents on file while they agree with our perspective on the need for the Tower Terrace Interchange. Jim Schnoebelen of the IDOT and IDOT staff agreed with the benefits and value of the project and stated the project will be considered, along with other projects during the development of the FY 2018-2022 Transportation Improvement Program. The Iowa Department of Transportation Commission, of course, will make the final decision on funding. In a follow up with Mr. Schnoebelen, he shared the IDOT staff will be preparing estimates and scenarios in December/January. They will begin briefing the Commission in February. He mentioned the programming will be set and presented in May with official IDOT commission approval in June. He thought by March we will know where we are sitting. As a reminder, this year the IDOT has the largest ever construction program by far, to go to letting in April so that may keep things a bit more up in the air than usual.