BLAIRSTOWN, Iowa (AP) — The state Department of Transportation is looking to expand U.S. Highway 30 from two lanes to four on a stretch in eastern Iowa. KWWL-TV in Waterloo reports that the DOT wants to do the work on a 14-mile stretch of highway near Blairstown and Van Horne in Benton County. Catherine Cutler, a district transportation planner, says the idea has been in the works since the early 2000s.

Culter says it’s the last segment between Cedar Rapids and Ames to become a four-lane highway, and the project is driven by additional capacity needs for passenger cars and semitrailers. Cutler says expanding the road’s capacity will also improve safety by giving drivers better passing opportunities. The first stages of construction could take place next summer.