IA: I-380 history research

[Revive 755]

The newspaper articles cited were all accessed through a library database.

* A very early Iowa DOT location study had I-380 intersecting I-80 west of Tiffin. (this comes from viewing the study itself).

* Two alternates to the apparently built route were studied in the Cedar Rapids area:  One was a western bypass of the city, the other ran up what is apparently the now-built route until intersecting the Cedar River where it turned west to Palo.  (Alternate Route Studies for I-380 Now Completed.  Cedar Rapids Gazette,  7-22-1969)

* Apparently there was originally a diamond interchange planned with 15th and 16th Avenues SW instead of at Wilson Avenue (Primary Complaint on I-380 Concerns Interchange Shift.  Cedar Rapids Gazette, 8-21-1970)

* There were seven routes between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo considered, but there appears to also have been an eighth route mentioned at least once.  They were:
1) Palo alternate (42.8 miles)
2) Vinton alternate (44.9 miles)
3) La Porte City alternate (47.4 miles)
4) Winthrop alternate (62.2 miles plus 33.5 miles on "Hwy 520" )
5) Independence alternate (56.4 miles plus 23.1 miles on "Hwy 520" )
6) Raymond alternate (47.5 miles plus 6.15 miles on "Hwy 520" )
7) Railroad alternate (48.4 miles) - one of the Iowa highways websites has this as the railroad which is now the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.
8) Manchester route

The Palo alternate was apparently endorsed at meetings in Black Hawk and Benton Counties (Hearing Divided on I-380.  Waterloo Daily Courier 12-3-1971)

* The Northern Iowa Area Development Organziation was seeking north and south extensions of I-380 in 1972.  The northern route would have been a diagonal corridor via the Shell River Valley that would intersect I-35 north of Northwood - possibly in Minnesota.  The southern extension would run to I-74 at Galesburg with a Mississippi crossing in the vicinity of Muscatine.  A map with this article had only three routes being considered between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo: The Independence alternate (which shared the Raymond alterante corridor until it turned north at what is now Exit 43), the Raymond alternate, and what is mentioned in a few other articles as the Palo alternate. (Extension to I-380 sought in N. Iowa.  Des Moines Register, 2-13-1972)

* The as-built Raymond alternate was approved on 12-20-1972.  Farmers preferred the Winthrop or Independence alternates. (I-380 fate rests with court.  Waterloo Courier 4-1-1979)

* Two routes proposed in the Hiawatha area:  One was the route that appears to have been built, the other route curved west at the Milwaukee Railroad (now partially IA 100), generally followed the railroad to a point south of Blairs Ferry Road, then turned north.  There was to be a diamond interchange at Edgewood Road and a Semi-direct T interchange at the turn northward with I-380 exiting from the Circumferential Road (the long proposed IA 100 extension to US 30).  (Proposed Hiawatha Routes.  Cedar Rapids Gazette, 2-24-1974 (map)

* A couple articles in the Cedar Rapids paper indicate a lot of controversy over the routing through Hiawatha.

8 followed by closed parenthesis should really not be a smiley

[3467]

Can you tell us more about the Muscatine -Galesburg route?
I never heard about it. The only thing Illinois ever studied was 67 and the now under construction US 34 to Burlington
BTW Where was 755?
Thanks

[Revive 755]

Found a possible early version of an I-380 extension to the Muscatine area:


This map comes from Page 28 of Iowa Highway Needs 1960-1980 apparently released in 1960.  The black lines are freeways.  The freeway system from the full map also included:

* All built interstates
* US 63 and IA 163, Missouri border to I-235 (interesting how the later expressway plan used the IA 5 and IA 92 corridors, yet the final expressway is back on the IA 163 corridor).
* US 34, US 63 to Burlington
* US 75/IA 60, I-29 to the Minnesota border
* US 30, I-35 to the Mississippi River
* US 151, (now) I-380 to US 20 at Dubuque
* US 20 across the state
* US 61, Missouri border to I-74 in Davenport (as poorly shown in the excerpt.
* US 218 (general corridor), I-80 to the Minnesota border

I-35 is shown on the US 69 corridor.  Also note the little loop in the Cedar Rapids area on the above excerpt.

The four lane non-freeways to be needed by 1980 were (as shown on Page 42):
* US 71 from IA 9(?) to US 18
* IA 9, from maybe two miles west of US 71 to IA 4
* US 65 for a little ways on both sides of Mason City
* US 65-69 from IA 92 into Des Moines
* US 169 around Fort Dodge
* US 30, I-35 to US 169
* US 30, Dennison to Dunlap
* A western quarter loop around Ames

[3467]

Wow That was 6 years before Illinois Wilbur Smith study that proposed the supplemental freeway system. Was Iowa the first? We know MO had one I think Ihave seen one for NY It would make sense most would have been Northeastern and Midwestern states that had more population at the time.
It is alos interesting because Illinois never had anything but 67 proposed Howver using I-74 and a route along Illinois 94 were considered when corridors were considered ......nothing popping out of Muscatine