I-335 for Des Moines Beltway?

[rte66man]

Just came through Des Moines last weekend on I-35 and saw a lot of dirt work at mm94 on the east side. Is this where the bypass will tie into I-35?

rte66man

[froggie]

According to Iowa DOT, it's for a new local interchange at NE 36th St to serve northern Ankeny.

[iowahighways]

Update from the Des Moines Register: Problems noted in beltway plan

In short, plans to upgrade US 65/IA 5 to I-335 or I-whatever-35 have hit a snag after an Iowa DOT study stated that about $23.5 million in upgrades would be needed. It's also going to cause access problems for farmers in the area since a minimum speed limit would need to be imposed.  The old IA 46 bridge that crossed the Des Moines River just west of US 65 was removed in 1998, so the US 65 portion of the beltway has no minimum speed limit. This allows farm machinery to use that stretch of road.

[NE2]

I'm pretty sure that's just a state law that prohibits tractors on Interstates.

[kphoger]

But if you have the option of spreading out the numbers then why not? Some people could confuse two I-435 numbered highways.

I don't think the confusion is too much of a problem, given that they're so many miles apart.

But there are no cities in between, and residents of one frequently travel to or beyond the other.  A driver from Minneapolis, going to Kansas, encounters only two cities in between–Des Moines and Kansas City.  With such sparse population, they might reasonably have directions like 'South 35 to South 435 to West 70'.

[Ned Weasel]

But if you have the option of spreading out the numbers then why not? Some people could confuse two I-435 numbered highways.

I don't think the confusion is too much of a problem, given that they're so many miles apart.

But there are no cities in between, and residents of one frequently travel to or beyond the other.  A driver from Minneapolis, going to Kansas, encounters only two cities in between–Des Moines and Kansas City.  With such sparse population, they might reasonably have directions like 'South 35 to South 435 to West 70'.

I'm not convinced that this is given serious consideration when numbering 3DIs.  On the relatively short (less than 90-minute) drive from Topeka, KS to Lee's Summit, MO, one will encounter two Interstates 470.  Also, Oklahoma City and Wichita are about as far from each other as are Kansas City and Des Moines, and both Oklahoma City and Wichita have an I-235.

[TheStranger]

But if you have the option of spreading out the numbers then why not? Some people could confuse two I-435 numbered highways.

I don't think the confusion is too much of a problem, given that they're so many miles apart.

But there are no cities in between, and residents of one frequently travel to or beyond the other.  A driver from Minneapolis, going to Kansas, encounters only two cities in between–Des Moines and Kansas City.  With such sparse population, they might reasonably have directions like 'South 35 to South 435 to West 70'.

I'm not convinced that this is given serious consideration when numbering 3DIs.  On the relatively short (less than 90-minute) drive from Topeka, KS to Lee's Summit, MO, one will encounter two Interstates 470.  Also, Oklahoma City and Wichita are about as far from each other as are Kansas City and Des Moines, and both Oklahoma City and Wichita have an I-235.

The two closest same-numbered signed 3dis I can think of would be the two I-291s, and the I-695s in Baltimore and Washington DC.

[Alps]

But if you have the option of spreading out the numbers then why not? Some people could confuse two I-435 numbered highways.

I don't think the confusion is too much of a problem, given that they're so many miles apart.

But there are no cities in between, and residents of one frequently travel to or beyond the other.  A driver from Minneapolis, going to Kansas, encounters only two cities in between–Des Moines and Kansas City.  With such sparse population, they might reasonably have directions like 'South 35 to South 435 to West 70'.

I'm not convinced that this is given serious consideration when numbering 3DIs.  On the relatively short (less than 90-minute) drive from Topeka, KS to Lee's Summit, MO, one will encounter two Interstates 470.  Also, Oklahoma City and Wichita are about as far from each other as are Kansas City and Des Moines, and both Oklahoma City and Wichita have an I-235.

The two closest same-numbered signed 3dis I can think of would be the two I-291s, and the I-695s in Baltimore and Washington DC.

And the I-395s in Baltimore and Washington. And the I-495s in Massachusetts and Maine. So many.

[Revive 755]

But there are no cities in between, and residents of one frequently travel to or beyond the other.  A driver from Minneapolis, going to Kansas, encounters only two cities in between–Des Moines and Kansas City.  With such sparse population, they might reasonably have directions like 'South 35 to South 435 to West 70'.

But at least for now, said driver would not encounter a 'South 435' when traveling SB on I-35.  If/when the new facility would make it to I-35 north of I-80, the Iowa DOT would just need to be careful with the control cities.

[apeman33]

But if you have the option of spreading out the numbers then why not? Some people could confuse two I-435 numbered highways.

If people don't confuse the two I-470s in Topeka and Kansas City, two I-435s farther apart shouldn't bother anyone.

[Alex]

While researching for an overhaul to the Interstate 235 page on Interstate-Guide, I ran across a 2014 Iowa Public Radio story about the upgrade of the Des Moines outer beltway to an Interstate. The same issue that Jason wrote about up thread was mentioned about slow moving farm equipment using the freeway. With the recent approval of Interstate 555 thanks to an exemption for farm equipment using the stretch across the St. Francis River floodway, could something similar work for Iowa?

[Jardine]

Farmers all gonna be farmin' with them new fangled drones purdy soon . . . .

[mvak36]

I drove this road when I was up in Des Moines a couple of weeks ago. I didn't realize that this is being proposed as an interstate. It will be interesting to see what they plan on doing going forward.

Just throwing this out there, but if 335 and 435 don't work, how about 835? It's not being used anywhere else.

[The Ghostbuster]

If they were to make the beltway an Interstate, they should also renumber the confusing exit sequence. It starts out with the mileage of state highway 5 and later gets the mileage of US 65. Exit 0 would be at Interstate 35, and they would count up from there.

[froggie]

I recall that 2014 article when it came out.  Take note that area officials put a hold on the idea, pending more study.  Given how heavily agricultural Iowa is (far moreso than northeastern Arkansas), I would hazard a bet that this won't happen.

[paulthemapguy]

The way to minimize numerical confusion would be to number it I-880.  235 and 880 have zero digits in common, making it easy to separate them in your mind.  I will also accept 835.  Note that Iowa doesn't have a 180 because each state on either side of Iowa has a 180.  You don't see the expressway from Iowa City to Waterloo also carrying a 180 designation, do you?  No, it's I-380.  I think everyone here agrees, though, that an odd first digit is insane lol.  I-540 in NC is irritating enough to me.

[Henry]

I-540 in NC is irritating enough to me.

I-520 around Augusta is irritating too, but at least it exists in two states.

As for this beltway, I think I-835 would be perfect for it. It's the only even I-x35 that has yet to be used (I-235 in Des Moines and Wichita, I-435 in Kansas City and I-635 in Kansas City and Dallas).

[froggie]

Note that Iowa doesn't have a 180 because each state on either side of Iowa has a 180.  You don't see the expressway from Iowa City to Waterloo also carrying a 180 designation, do you?  No, it's I-380.

At the time I-380 came about, Iowa had an IA 180.  They were well within their right to request 380 for the Interstate route.

[The Ghostbuster]

It's seems more likely to me that this corridor will remain State Highway 5 and US 65.

[mrose]

I like 835 because it is a mashup of 80 and 35, the two interstates that it connects.

[skluth]

I-540 in NC is irritating enough to me.

I-520 around Augusta is irritating too, but at least it exists in two states.

I-520 originally was a spur entirely in Georgia that ended at GA-28. Only much later was it extended to bypass Augusta.