April 2012
The Iowa Department of Transportation is redistributing this information in cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration. Specific questions related to the announcement should be directed to FRA contact Kevin Thompson. Questions about how this acquisition could potentially affect Iowa’s passenger rail service may be directed to Tamara Nicholson, director of the Iowa DOT’s Office of Rail Transportation, at 515-239-1052 or
[email protected]. U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 www.dot.gov/briefing-room.html News _______________________________________________________________...
AMES, Iowa – April 19, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation, will be hosting both in-person, and online, self-directed open house meetings May 1 through May 12, 2012, for the Chicago to Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study. The open house meetings are intended to illustrate various route alternatives, explain the process used to evaluate the route alternatives, discuss results of the alternatives analysis, and gain...
AMES, Iowa – April 19, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting Thursday, May 3, to discuss proposed improvements to Iowa 14/Iowa 57 from the north junction of the roadways through Parkersburg to the south junction. The public is invited to attend the meeting anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Parkersburg Veterans Building, 101 Colfax St. The proposed improvements include resurfacing with milling and corridor improvements. Through traffic would be detoured during...
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa – April 18, 2012 – Work on a project to reconstruct the southbound lanes of Interstate 380/U.S. 20 in Evansdale from the U.S. 20 interchange north 6.5 miles to west of River Forest Road will begin on Monday, April 23, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation's New Hampton construction office. This construction project will require a single lane closure in both the north- and southbound lanes to allow the contractor to build median crossovers...
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa — April 13, 2012 — The Iowa Department of Transportation would like to encourage motorists to find alternative routes around ongoing construction work on U.S. 218 near Janesville. Heavy traffic during the mid-to-late afternoon hours has been noted this week in the northbound lanes of U.S. 218 due to traffic signals and the closure of the right lane. This has caused significant delays. Traffic approaching the Janesville area should drive with caution and be prepared to stop...
AMES, Iowa – April 13, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation, is studying the feasibility of expanding existing passenger rail service and developing a new regional passenger rail service from Chicago, Ill., through Iowa to Omaha, Neb. The purpose of this study is to: Evaluate potential route alternatives. Evaluate levels of service and ridership. Analyze environmental impacts. Determine a preferred Chicago to Omaha passenger rail route...
MASON CITY, Iowa – April 13, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation will be conducting survey work on University Avenue from the junction of Iowa 58 to U.S. 63. The work will entail three vehicles travelling side-by-side on the road, preventing other vehicles from passing. This work will include a specially equipped van taking high resolution scans of the roadway. Three DOT vehicles will be following the van side-by-side so traffic does not disrupt the collection of data. The...
AMES, Iowa – April 13, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting Thursday, April 26, to discuss three proposed bridge replacements on Iowa 141 in Guthrie County. The public is invited to attend the meeting anytime between 5 and 6:30 p.m. at the Coon Rapids City Hall, Council Chambers, 123 S. Third Ave. One bridge is located over the Middle Raccoon River, 0.4 mile east of the Carroll County line and near the east...
AMES, Iowa – April 11, 2012 – Recently, several motor vehicle crashes with school buses have prompted the Iowa Department of Transportation to remind motorists of when it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus on any public or private roadway or driveway. The bill known as “Kadyn’s Law,” in memory of Kadyn Halverson, went into effect with the governor’s signature March 16. The 7-year-old first grader from Kensett was killed last May by a driver who had illegally...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – April 11, 2012 – The westbound Interstate 80 on-ramp at First Avenue (exit 242) in Coralville will be closed for road construction from 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, until 6 a.m. Thursday, April 12, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Cedar Rapids construction office. During this closure, traffic will be detoured to the Dubuque Street interchange to get on westbound I-80. Please follow the marked detour during this closure. Also, westbound I-80 will...