IOWA — The Iowa Transportation Commission approved a $4.2 billion highway construction program for 2027-31 on June 9. The plan includes the replacement of the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 80 over the Mississippi River.

The I-80 bridge replacement will be built on the downriver side of the current bridge and is the highest-cost project in the program. Iowa is scheduled to contribute $241.2 million for this project between 2028 and 2030, with the Illinois Department of Transportation serving as the lead agency. The project also includes improvements to the I-80/88 interchange.

Other major projects include the replacement of the Gordon Drive Viaduct in Sioux City between 2027 and 2030 at a cost of $206 million. This project is marked as underfunded and eligible for additional funding. In Cedar Falls, the at-grade intersection of Iowa Highway 27/58 at Greenhill Road is scheduled for conversion into a full interchange in 2029 at a cost of $54.65 million. This intersection is also marked as underfunded.

Improvements to Interstate 35 include expanding to six lanes between Iowa 210 and U.S. 30 in the next year for $58.5 million. The I-35 to I-235 ramp project in Des Moines' western suburbs will change from a cloverleaf loop to a flyover ramp, costing $125 million, with construction lettings set for July 28. Further south, a grade-and-pave project for the northbound lanes of I-35 from the Cumming exit into Polk County is scheduled for 2027 at a cost of $34.1 million. Work on I-35 between University and Douglas avenues will involve lane expansion, costing $13.3 million.

Interstate 80 will see several bridge replacements designed to carry three lanes of traffic in each direction. This includes bridges at the U.S. 169 exit for $30.4 million in 2028 and 2030, at the U.S. 63 exit for $33 million in 2029 and 2031, at the Iowa 21 exit for $17.7 million in 2027-28, and at the Iowa 149 exit for $32 million in 2027 and 2029. The expansion of I-80 between the northeast mixmaster and U.S. 65 is scheduled for completion in 2027, costing $33.25 million. Rest areas along I-80 will also undergo replacement, including the eastbound rest area near Mitchellville in 2028-29 at $17 million, which will include an expansion of truck parking. The westbound rest area near Underwood will be replaced in 2031 at a cost of $6.2 million, and the eastbound truck parking site north of Wilton will be replaced in 2030 at $7 million.

Other bridge projects include the replacement of the Iowa 175 bridge over the Des Moines River near Dayton in 2028 for $15.5 million. A bridge in Lake View on Iowa 175 is set for replacement in 2029 at a cost of $8 million. The state has allocated $6.9 million for the replacement of the Burlington Street bridge over the Iowa River in Iowa City in 2030. The U.S. 34 bridge over the East Nodaway River and Union Pacific Railroad by Corning will be replaced in 2030 at a cost of $21.2 million. Rehabilitation of the Iowa 149/Business U.S. 63 viaduct in Ottumwa is scheduled for 2031 at $36.9 million, alongside a $7 million paving project north of the viaduct from Second Street past Woodland Avenue in 2028. New bridges are planned for Iowa 175 at Decatur, Nebraska, and for U.S. 67 (the Centennial Bridge) at Rock Island, both starting no earlier than 2031, with $60 million set aside for the U.S. 67 project in 2031.

Several projects involve U.S. Highway 30, including a bypass of Missouri Valley for $103.7 million with work in 2028 and 2031. An expressway segment between Iowa 78 and Iowa 92, costing $165.7 million, includes a bypass of Wapello. Two roundabouts will be placed on the south side of Boone in 2027 at a cost of $6.7 million. An interchange for U.S. 30 on the west side of Nevada will be built in 2028-29 at $32 million, which will result in the closure of all remaining at-grade intersections from the east side of Nevada to Ames once the exit for 610th Avenue/18th Street is completed. The U.S. 30 and 300th Street intersection in De Witt will become a reduced conflict intersection, which will be the second such intersection in the state. The project to replace the U.S. 30/59 bridges over the Union Pacific tracks in Denison is scheduled for 2029, and the intersections with U.S. 30 on both ends of this project will be converted into roundabouts. The three-way intersections at U.S. 30/59 in Denison have not changed since 1962.

Additional projects include upgrading I-380 to six lanes between the North Liberty and Swisher exits starting in 2030, with $56.2 million allocated. The U.S. 151 Springville exit project is set for 2028 at a cost of $27.3 million. A plan for U.S. 20 on the west side of Dubuque, costing $12.5 million and scheduled for 2028, will add a frontage road to the south side of the highway while retaining at-grade stoplights with Old Highway Road, Northwest Arterial, and Crescent Ridge. On Iowa 100, offset right-turn lanes will be installed at 44th Street in Marion, and left turns will be banned from Munier Road onto eastbound Iowa 100 next year. Roundabouts are also planned for the U.S. 18/71 intersection on the north side of Spencer at $5.7 million in the upcoming year, the U.S. 59/Iowa 2 intersection just south of Shenandoah at $2.8 million in the upcoming year, and U.S. 69/126th Street west of Elkhart at $3.2 million in the upcoming year. No projects are scheduled for Dickinson County or Hardin County in this highway plan.