An open house will be held next Tuesday at the Mall of the Bluffs in Council Bluffs, to explain to the public what changes they can expect to see on the Council Bluffs interstate system. The Daily NonPareil reports by the end of this year, drivers will be able to take advantage of some of the improvements now under construction, including new flyover bridges at the Interstate 80-29 interchange near the Mid-American Center. The biggest change to the system will be on I-29/80 on the south side of Council Bluffs. That stretch of interstate will be rebuilt into a “dual divided freeway” to create new express lanes.
The Iowa Department of Transportation has signed off on $120 million in projects over the past five years in Council Bluffs. Now it hopes to spend that amount every year for the next decade to update the interstate system to accommodate growing traffic counts. The federal government will pay 85 percent of the costs, with the rest coming from the state. By speeding up the project, the DOT expects to save $33 million, mostly in inflation costs. The expedited timetable is pending approval from the Iowa Transportation Commission. If approved, planners expect to wrap up construction on most of the projects in 2020 or 2021, instead of 2024.
Some future work, such as the I-480/29 interchange and the I-80/U.S. Highway 6 interchange, has not yet been scheduled. With those projects included, the total price tag for the project is estimated at $2 billion.
The public open house on the project is set for Jan. 28th at the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program Office at the Mall of the Bluffs. It will be held from 4-until 7-p.m. No formal presentations will be made. The public is invited to stop by anytime during the hours of the open house to look at the projects, information and timetable.
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