Project to revamp Wright Brothers interchange, widen portion of I-380 now fully funded

An extensive Corridor highway improvement project that includes widening a five-mile section of Interstate 380 to three lanes and rebuilding the I-380 interchange with Wright Brothers Boulevard is now fully funded, and construction on the project is expected to begin in 2024. The newest funding for the $140 million project comes from a $57.3 million grant announced Dec. 8 from the bipartisan federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was approved by the U.S. Senate in 2021. The project will include reconstructing the Wright Brothers Boulevard interchange using a diverging diamond design, similar to but larger than the Tower Terrace Road interchange completed in June 2023. It also includes widening Interstate 380 to three lanes in each direction, from just north of the 120th Street (Swisher) interchange to just south of the Highway 30 interchange. Cathy Cutler, transportation planner at the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 6 Office, said the I-380 and Wright Brothers project was first advanced to the IDOT’s active project plan in 2020 and added to the five-year plan in 2022, with funding allocated from various federal, state and city sources. The latest federal grant, she said, will not only fully fund the existing project, but will allow for the addition of 14 new truck parking spaces at the southbound I-380 rest stop in the project area, as well as covering unexpected project contingencies and cost overruns. The additional rest stop truck parking spaces made sense to do as part of the interchange reconstruction and interstate widening, Ms. Cutler said, because it’s “right in the middle of the southern end of our project, and it didn't it didn't really make sense to come back and do it in a different year. Staging-wise and bundling projects-wise, it was a real money saver for us.” The rest stop building itself is also set to be replaced, but as part of a separate project, Ms. Cutler said.

Projects will improve safety, traffic flow

A portion of the interstate widening project has already begun, as crews have been working for several months on both sides of the interstate on a “clearing and grubbing” project to remove excess trees and other vegetation. Ms. Cutler said the next phase is expected to begin in summer 2024 with the formal road construction bid-letting process. The expansion of I-380 to three lanes, combined with a reconstructed Wright Brothers Boulevard interchange, will help move traffic more efficiently and safely through an area that’s become much busier with commercial and residential traffic in recent years, Ms. Cutler said. “We’ve worked with Cedar Rapids to actually push this project ahead of some other projects, because of the greater needs of the Wright Brothers area,” she noted. “Certainly the airport, not only for air passengers, but the freight that comes through there, is very important for Iowa's economy. And that interchange is really outdated. Especially with all the freight trucks coming through, we really wanted to push it ahead and keep it on the schedule that we had.”

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https://corridorbusiness.com/interstate-380-widening-new-highway-151-interchange-included-in-iowa-dot-project-draft/ The Wright Brothers Boulevard interchange project will include:

• Fully reconstructing the interchange from a standard diamond with two lanes to a six-lane diverging diamond interchange, similar to the interchanges at Tower Terrace Road and the Interstate 80/First Avenue interchange in Coralville. The new interchange will have two bridges and will provide fewer “conflict points” for entering and exiting traffic, which officials say reduces the potential for severe broadside or angle crashes;
• Coordinated traffic signals with interchange ramp intersections and adjacent city intersections for improved operations; and
• Adding pedestrian/bike accommodations through the interchange.

Work will begin later in 2024 on building berms for the new interchange, Ms. Cutler, in anticipation of paving work in 2025 and project completion in 2026. The grant project also includes coordination with adjacent work by the City of Cedar Rapids, including improvements of the Sixth Street SW and Earhart Lane SW intersections, including turning lanes and signal improvements. The city and DOT project bids will be linked and awarded to a single contractor, which will help with coordination of traffic control and reduce costs, Ms. Cutler said. I-380 will re-converge to two lanes from south of the Swisher interchange to north of the Forevergreen Road interchange, Ms. Cutler said. Plans for that area are two-fold. One project, for the portion of I-380 from north of Forevergreen Road to the Swan Lake Road overpass, scheduled to start in 2024 and conclude in 2026, will include widening to three lanes in both directions and rebuilding the Penn Street interchange. The Penn Street interchange type will not change, but it will be expanded to additional lanes due to capacity needs, Ms. Cutler said. The middle section, from the Swan Lake overpass to Swisher interchange, is not yet programmed by the DOT, “but we expect it to be considered for funding in the next five year program,” Ms. Cutler said. “We are actively working on all three sections of I-380.” The widening will also not include the Highway 30 interchange itself, so I-380 through traffic will re-converge to two lanes at that interchange, Ms. Cutler said. “We looked at a lot of different ways to put three lanes under there, and I just don't think we're going to be able to make it (work) at this time,” she said. Rebuilding the Highway 30/I-380 interchange itself is under consideration as a future project, but there’s no timeline yet for that project, she noted. However, the third northbound lane of I-380 near the Highway 30 interchange will be designated for eastbound Highway 30 traffic, easing traffic flow to a degree, she said. “But yes, we will still have a traffic issue in that area,” she acknowledged.

Cooperation with city improved grant odds

Since the application for the federal grant was submitted jointly by the DOT and Cedar Rapids, its stature was improved dramatically, Ms. Cutler said. “The city of Cedar Rapids has been an excellent partner getting the ends of the project in place,” she said, referring to the Sixth Street and Earhart Lane SW projects. “So they actually advanced that project as well. We’ve all been waiting on this, especially the city. The grant itself includes $50 million for the DOT’s project and $7.3 million for the city’s project, Ms. Cutler said. “It was working cooperatively, and that really helps when it’s multi-jurisdictional.” The majority of the overall project, as much as 90%, will be federally funded, Ms. Cutler added, through sources such as the federal gas tax. The state’s contribution comes from the Iowa gas tax, driver’s license fees and other sources. Overall, Ms. Cutler said she’s happy the federal grant funding for the I-380 widening and Wright Brothers interchange was approved and the project can get under way. “I thought we had a good chance,” she said. “We had a strong application.” “I was glad to support the Iowa Department of Transportation’s grant application and the infrastructure bill that made this project possible,” Sen. Chuck Grassley said in a statement Dec. 8 announcing the grant award. “This investment will help increase productivity and safety for truckers, drivers and pedestrians. Our Iowa economy and local communities will greatly benefit as a result.”