SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — When the weather gets warmer, Siouxlanders will tend to see more bulldozers out as construction season gets underway in both Nebraska and Iowa.
“We’ve got a lot of work going on on Highway 75 and 77 on the east side of our state from Lyons to Decatur” said Kevin Domoagalla with the Nebraska DOT
Domogalla added that construction season is well underway in Nebraska. One big project they are heavily focused on is a $70 million lane expansion on Highway 275 all the way to West Point.
“We’re doing a four lane, a two plus two, we’re expanding Highway 75 to a two-hour expressway. We’ve got the first segment of it started between Highway 57 and Wisner,” Domogalla said.
In Sioux City, Sarah Tracy with the Iowa DOT said that projects happening here in Siouxland will primarily be bridge repairs.
“In the Siouxland area, there’s a few major road construction projects that people will see on I-29. There’s some bridge repairs being made; that is the bridge that goes into Nebraska. The contractor is making good progress on that, and they will switch lanes with the width restriction. That’s coming up in the next couple of weeks,” Tracy with the Iowa DOT
On top of the bridge repairs, the one thing that’s been on Sioux City residents’ minds are the latest update on the Gordon Drive viaduct, Tracy expressed that the wheels are in motion in repairing it, but will to lead some road closures coming soon.
“The slip ramp from Gordon Drive to Lewis Boulevard, that will be closed and that is associated with archeological work that needs to be done for the Gordon Drive by that project. Definitely steps are moving forward to get to the point where we’re replacing the drive viaduct,” Tracy said.
Both Tracy and Domogalla said the projects will not cause any detour.
“Detours? No, intermittent lane closures though. So, just drivers be aware that there will be lane closures associated with these projects,” Tracy said.
“Our goal is to not have to detour traffic. We try to do it under traffic, so that does not inconvenience people quite so much,” said Domogalla.
And with projects underway, Domogalla wants to remind folks to not be distracted when driving through a construction zone.
“Whenever you’re in a construction zone, put your phone down, focus on the act of driving, and keep an eye out for people, keep an eye out for equipment,” Domogalla said.
The Gordon Drive viaduct slip ramp closure will begin a little after the Fourth of July, and the Highway 275 lane expansion is scheduled to finish in 2029.