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Interstate 80 (I-80) is a transcontinental
Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
in the United States, stretching from
San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, to
Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held ...
. In
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
, the highway travels west to east through the center of the state. It enters the state at the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
in
Council Bluffs Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 62,799 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, te ...
and heads east through the southern Iowa drift plain. In the
Des Moines metropolitan area The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital and larges ...
, I-80 meets up with
I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexico–Uni ...
and the two routes bypass Des Moines together. On the northern side of Des Moines, the Interstates split and I-80 continues east. In eastern Iowa, it provides access to the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
in
Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...
. Northwest of the
Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of five cities (originally Tri-Cities, later four, see #History, History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport, Iowa, Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, Bettendorf (the fifth to be included) in southeaster ...
in Walcott is Iowa 80, the world's largest
truck stop A truck stop (known as a service station in the United Kingdom, a travel center by major chains in the United States and a roadhouse in rural Australia) is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made f ...
. I-80 passes along the northern edge of Davenport and Bettendorf and leaves Iowa via the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge over the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
into
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. Before I-80 was planned, the route between Council Bluffs and Davenport, which passed through Des Moines, was vital to the state. Two competing
auto trail The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on utility poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in t ...
s, the Great White Way and the River-to-River Road, sought to be the best path to connect three of the state's major population centers. The two trails combined in the 1920s and eventually became US Highway 32 (US 32) in 1926. US 6, which had taken the place of US 32, became the busiest highway in the state. In the early 1950s, plans were drawn up for the construction of an Iowa Turnpike, to be the first modern four-lane highway in the state, along the US 6 corridor. Plans for the turnpike were shelved when the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
was created in 1956. Construction of I-80 took place for over 14 years. The first section of the Interstate opened on September 21, 1958, in the western suburbs of
Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...
. New sections of the highway opened up regularly over the next 12 years, even though construction in eastern Iowa was completed in 1966. The final piece of I-80 in Iowa, the Missouri River bridge to
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
, opened on December 15, 1972. By the 1980s, I-80 had fallen into disrepair in Iowa and across the country. Federal funding was freed up in 1985 to allow reconstruction of the highway.


Route description

I-80 is the longest Interstate Highway in Iowa. It extends from west to east across the central portion of the state through the population centers of the
Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area The Omaha metropolitan area, officially known as the Omaha, NE–IA, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), is an urbanized, bi-state metro region in Nebraska and Iowa in the American Midwest, centered on the city of Omaha, Nebraska. The region con ...
, Des Moines metropolitan area, and Quad Cities. The majority of the highway runs through farmland, yet roughly a third of Iowa's population live along the I-80 corridor. The route closely follows the
Iowa Interstate Railroad The Iowa Interstate Railroad is a Class II railroad, Class II regional railroad operating in the central United States. The railroad is owned by Railroad Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History The railroad was formed on N ...
, which was once the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At ...
Main Line in Iowa.


Western Iowa

I-80 enters Iowa on a bridge over the Missouri River, where it leaves
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
, to enter Council Bluffs. Almost immediately after landing on the Iowa side of the bridge, it meets I-29 and US 6 at a Y interchange. At the interchange, I-80 splits into a local–express lane configuration. The inner express lanes do not provide any connection to I-29 nor to any of the intermediate interchanges between the two junctions with I-29. The outer local lanes are concurrent with I-29 through southern Council Bluffs for . The speed limit through this section is . The South 24th Street interchange serves a commercial area anchored by the Mid-America Center and Horseshoe Casino. The South Expressway exit, which previously marked the southern end of Iowa Highway 192 (Iowa 192), is adjacent to a
big-box store A big-box store, a hyperstore, a supercenter, a superstore, or a megastore is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store. The ...
commercial center. At the East System interchange in Council Bluffs; I-29 heads south while I-80 and US 6 head to the northeast. East of the I-29 split, I-80 travels northeast for the next . It passes through eastern Council Bluffs where it serves a commercial/residential area. At exit 8, US 6 exits the freeway and heads west. The Interstate leaves Council Bluffs and speed limit increases to . Here, I-80 roughly follows the course of Mosquito Creek past
Underwood Underwood may refer to: People *Underwood (surname), people with the surname Places Australia *Underwood, Queensland, a suburb of Logan City, Australia *Underwood, Tasmania, a locality United Kingdom *Underwood, Devon, a List of United Kingdom ...
and Neola, both of which are served by interchanges. About of Neola, I-80 curves to the east as it meets the eastern end of I-880 at a directional T interchange. For the next , I-80 runs in more or less a straight line. Interchanges occur at regular intervals; of Pottwattamie and
Cass Cass may refer to: People and fictional characters * Cass (surname), a list of people * Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey * Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie * Cass, ...
county farmland separate each exit from the next. Near Avoca, it crosses the West Nishnabotna River and meets US 59. East of the interchange, the Interstate crosses the eastern branch of the West Nishnabotna River. As I-80 approaches the area north of
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
, there are three interchanges, Iowa 173, County Road N16 (CR N16), and US 71, which serve the western, central, and eastern parts of the city, respectively. Iowa 173, which serves Atlantic by way of Iowa 83, also connects to Elk Horn and Kimballton. US 71, which continues north toward Carroll, carries US 6 traffic to the Interstate. At this point, US 6 begins the first of three instances when its traffic is routed along I-80. In the eastern part of Cass County, the two routes meet the northern end of Iowa 148. As I-80 and US 6 approach Adair, the highways curve slightly to the south to bypass the community. There are two interchanges in Adair; both of the intersecting roads, at one time or another, carried US 6. CR G30, the White Pole Road, was the original alignment of US 6, while CR N54 has not carried US 6 since 1980. Further east is an interchange with Iowa 25. About south of the interchange is Freedom Rock. Each year for
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
, the rock is repainted with a patriotic scene by local artist Ray "Bubba" Sorenson II. Near
Dexter Dexter may refer to: People * Dexter (given name) * Dexter (surname) * Dexter (singer), Brazilian rapper Marcos Fernandes de Omena (born 1973) * Famous Dex, also known as Dexter, American rapper Dexter Tiewon Gore Jr. (born 1993) Places United ...
, I-80 and US 6 graze the northwestern corner of Madison County. After , the routes enter Dallas County and meet CR F60, another former alignment of US 6.


Central Iowa

Continuing east, the two routes follow a due-east section of highway, where they pass Earlham. Near the CR F90/CR P58 interchange, they start heading northeast towards Des Moines. At De Soto, US 6 splits away from I-80 at the interchange with US 169. Tourists who want to see the covered bridges of Madison County (made famous by the book ''
The Bridges of Madison County ''The Bridges of Madison County'' (also published as ''Love in Black and White'') is a 1992 best-selling Romance novel, romance novel by American writer Robert James Waller that tells the story of an Italian-American World War II war bride livi ...
'') and the birthplace of
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
, are directed to follow US 169 south to Winterset. Between De Soto and Van Meter, the Interstate crosses the middle and north branches of the
Raccoon River The Raccoon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 26, 2011 tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the long ...
, which converge just south of the crossing of the North Raccoon River. As the highway gets closer to Des Moines, it moves more sharply to the northeast. In southern Waukee, there is an interchange with Grand Prairie Parkway, the first
diverging diamond interchange A diverging diamond interchange (DDI), also called a double crossover diamond interchange (DCD), is a subset of diamond interchange in which the opposing directions of travel on the non-freeway road cross each other on either side of the inte ...
in the state. As I-80 enters West Des Moines, the speed limit lowers to and the path of the Interstate straightens out to the east at the Jordan Creek Parkway exit. The highway adds a third lane eastbound and drops the third lane westbound. Almost to the east is the interchange with I-35, which also marks the beginning of I-235. Eastbound I-80 exits the freeway via a flyover ramp to northbound I-35; eastbound I-235 begins as the continuation of the I-80 freeway. Locally, this exit is called the West Mixmaster. I-80 shares the next with I-35 on a six-lane freeway where each direction's three lanes are separated by a
Jersey barrier A Jersey barrier, Jersey wall, or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resu ...
. They begin their journey together by heading north; they briefly run through West Des Moines and then cross into Clive at University Avenue. At the Clive– Urbandale city limits is the interchange with Hickman Road, which carries US 6. Hickman Road serves a
truck stop A truck stop (known as a service station in the United Kingdom, a travel center by major chains in the United States and a roadhouse in rural Australia) is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made f ...
to the west and the Living History Farms visitor center to the east. The two Interstates continue north through Urbandale where they pass Douglas Avenue. The Iowa 141 exit is at Rider Corner, the point where the I-35/I-80 freeway curves 90 degrees to the east. East of the 86th Street exit, the freeway begins a slow descent toward the Des Moines River. Merle Hay Road, named for the first Iowan to die in World War I, carries Iowa 28 from the south to its northern end at the Interstates. They cross the Des Moines River just south of the mouth of Beaver Creek. to the east is Iowa 415 and further east is US 69. Between the interchanges there is a fourth lane in each direction. At the end of their together, I-35 exits to the north and I-235's eastern end is to the south at the East Mixmaster. East of I-35, I-80 meets up with US 65 on the outskirts of Altoona. The two routes only share the highway for as US 65 splits away at the next exit. Here, US 6 rejoins I-80 for the second time and the Interstate returns to its four-lane configuration. After a third exit for Altoona, the Interstate resumes its rural limit. Near Colfax, the highways cross the South Skunk River. After an interchange with Iowa 117, the highway is forced to the north to avoid crossing the river multiple times. As it returns south to its original line, it meets CR F48, which was another former alignment of US 6. At the Iowa 14 exit in Newton, US 6 exits off the Interstate. East of Newton is an interchange that serves the Iowa Speedway. east of the speedway is an exit for Iowa 224 which connects to Kellogg. After this interchange, the highway curves to the northeast and descends a hill to cross the North Skunk River. Shortly after the river, it curves back to the east and climbs up the hill. As the road straightens out, it begins a stretch of straight highway. Between the river and the Iowa 146 exit south of Grinnell, the farmland that surrounds the Interstate undulates. Past Grinnell, it passes through the footprint of the North English wind farm, with rows of turbines running parallel to the route. Just south of Malcom, it meets US 63. Further east, at exit 201 for Iowa 21, there are competing truck stops on either side of the freeway.


Eastern Iowa

Now in Iowa County, I-80 continues toward the eastern end of the stretch of straight highway. It turns slightly to the southeast near the Ladora exit and straightens again at the Marengo interchange, where Kinze Manufacturing, a farm implement manufacturer, advertises its business to passing travelers by arranging farm implements into sculptures. A few miles east, in
Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...
, is the northern end of Iowa 149. The Williamsburg exit is the location of a Tanger Outlet Mall. The next interchange marks the southern end of US 151. Both the Iowa 149 and US 151 interchanges serve the
Amana Colonies The Amana Colonies are seven villages on located in Iowa County in east-central Iowa, United States: Amana (or Main Amana, German: ''Haupt-Amana''), East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead. The villag ...
which are located to the north. As I-80 enters the Iowa City area, the speed limit drops to . On the edge of Coralville is an interchange with US 218 and Iowa 27. This interchange is also the beginning of
I-380 Interstate 380 may refer to: * Interstate 380 (California), a spur from Interstate 280 to U.S. Route 101 and the San Francisco International Airport * Interstate 380 (Iowa), a spur from Interstate 80 that starts in Iowa City and eventually ends ...
, which heads north along US 218 and Iowa 27 toward
Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...
and Waterloo. The I-80/I-380 interchange was identified as the most likely location in Iowa for a
semi-trailer truck A semi-trailer truck (also known by a wide variety of other terms – see below) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer attaches to the tractor with a type of hitch called ...
to overturn. According to the American Transportation Research Institute, 30 trucks rolled over at the interchange during the eight-year study period. The
Iowa Department of Transportation The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is the government organization in the U.S. state of Iowa responsible for the organization, construction, and maintenance of the List of Iowa state highways, primary highway system. Located in Am ...
(Iowa DOT) has plans to replace the
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...
with a turbine interchange, but the project would not take place until around 2025. At the I-380 interchange, I-80 becomes a six-lane freeway. The Coral Ridge Avenue exit provides access to US 6, which passes beneath the Interstate just before the interchange, and the eponymous shopping center located to the southeast. The 1st Avenue exit in Coralville and Dubuque Street exit in
Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...
direct University of Iowa traffic to different parts of the university campus. The
Iowa River The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 and i ...
flows between the two interchanges and also marks the boundary between Coralville and Iowa City. On Iowa City's east side are the Iowa 1 and Herbert Hoover Highway exits. Between them, the highway drops back to four lanes and the speed limit increases to . As it enters Cedar County, it passes West Branch, the birthplace of and site of the library and museum of President
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...
. It approaches the Cedar River near the village of Rochester. Just east of the river crossing, Iowa 38 joins I-80 from the north. The county road that continues to the south from Iowa 38 leads to
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. The two highways travel together for until they reach the Wilton area. Here, Iowa 38 exits to the south, while US 6 joins I-80 for the last time. Before reaching the Quad Cities, I-80 passes Walcott and Iowa 80, which is self-billed as the "World's Largest Truck Stop". The truck stop has three restaurants, a gift shop, movie theater, museum, barber shop, and dentist on site. On average, the truck stop has served more than 1.4 million customers per year since it opened in 1965. As I-80 and US 6 approach the
Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of five cities (originally Tri-Cities, later four, see #History, History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport, Iowa, Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, Bettendorf (the fifth to be included) in southeaster ...
, the speed limit drops to for the final time. Just within the city limits of Davenport is the I-280 interchange. US 6 exits to the south to join I-280 while I-80 is joined by US 61. I-80 and US 61 only share of freeway before US 61 exits to its own freeway heading north. In between the two exits is an interchange with Northwest Boulevard, which marks the eastern end of Iowa 130. A couple miles east of the eastern US 61 interchange is the western end of
I-74 Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange with I-75 ...
. Because of a "turn off to stay on" interchange with I-74 and I-280 near Colona, Illinois, called "the Big X", I-74 through traffic is urged to use I-80 around the Quad Cities to the Big X. At the Big X, traffic from both I-74 and I-80 must exit their respective freeways to continue on the same route. Near the Mississippi River, the Interstate takes a sharp curve to the southeast to line up perpendicularly to the river. Just before the base of the bridge is an interchange with US 67, the last exit in Iowa. I-80 ends its journey through Iowa over the Mississippi River on the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge. It enters rural
Rock Island County, Illinois Rock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 144,672. Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighborin ...
, and continues toward
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.


Services

The Iowa DOT operates 37 rest areas and one scenic overlook in 20 locations along its of Interstate highway. Along I-80, there are nine locations that have facilities for each direction of traffic. Parking areas are divided so passenger automobiles are separated from large semitrailer trucks. Common among all of the rest stops are separate men's and women's restrooms,
payphone A payphone (alternative spelling: pay phone or pay telephone or public phone) is typically a coin-operated public telephone, often located in a telephone booth or in high-traffic public areas. Prepayment is required by inserting coins or tel ...
s with TDD capabilities, weather reporting kiosks,
vending machine A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise m ...
s, and free
wireless internet Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''telecommunication'') between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided mediu ...
. Many stations have family restrooms and dump stations for
recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and ca ...
s. The first rest areas along Iowa's Interstates were built in the 1960s. They were modest facilities; separate buildings housed the restrooms and vending machines. A few rest stops had another building with local tourist information. On August 4, 1999, the first modern rest area opened along eastbound I-80 near Wilton. The new facilities feature one large building housing as many as 28 more toilets than the older buildings, in addition to all the other common rest area amenities. They also feature artwork by local Iowa artists. Each new rest area is designed around a theme. For instance, the facility near Adair is a tribute to the life of
Henry A. Wallace Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 – November 18, 1965) was the 33rd vice president of the United States, serving from 1941 to 1945, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He served as the 11th U.S. secretary of agriculture and the 10th U.S ...
, the 33rd
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
, who was born in nearby
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.


History

Since before the Iowa Primary Highway System was created in 1920, the Council Bluffs-to-Davenport, by way of Des Moines, corridor has always been important. Two roughly parallel auto trails, the Great White Way and the River-to-River Road, served cross-state traffic. The two routes were merged into one route, the Whiteway Highway, in 1922. Four years later, the Whiteway Highway would become US 32. The US 32 designation was absorbed into an extended US 6 in 1931. Previously, US 6 had existed only in the
Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. Located on the East Coast of the United States, ...
. Within 10 years, US 6 was the most-traveled road in Iowa, with an average of "1,920 cars a day at any given rural point".


Iowa Turnpike

In 1954, Coverdale & Colpitts, a
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based engineering firm working on behalf of the Iowa State Highway Commission, reported on the feasibility of building an east–west toll road, to be called the Iowa Turnpike, across the state. The firm found that the turnpike should closely parallel US 6 between Council Bluffs and Davenport. They concluded that the turnpike could be economically possible if $180 million (equivalent to $ in ) in
revenue bond A revenue bond is a special type of municipal bond distinguished by its guarantee of repayment solely from revenues generated by a specified revenue-generating entity associated with the purpose of the bonds, rather than from a tax. Unlike gener ...
s were issued at interest rates no higher than 3.5 percent. In early March 1955, the
Iowa General Assembly The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Repre ...
debated the pros and cons on building a toll road. Proponents of the turnpike said it would be a self-financing project. The feasibility report suggested tolls of (equivalent to in ). It was estimated that, in 1953, the turnpike could have generated $5.9 million (equivalent to $ in ). If traffic levels were not high enough to raise enough revenue, as the opponents of the project worried, the state would end up paying for the project, thus defeating the purpose of a toll road. The proposed highway was to run from Illinois Route 80 near Port Byron, Illinois, which ran along the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, over a new bridge into Iowa. It would then span across the state to the South Omaha Bridge where US 275 crossed the Missouri River. The entire route was to be near US 6 across the state. It was to be the first modern four-lane highway in the state, with lanes and an at least grassy
median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...
. Along the route, 16 interchanges were planned. Most interchanges were to be located near population centers; an option to build a 17th near Grinnell, if necessary, was included. Eight service areas, similar in quality to those found on the
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
turnpikes, were planned as well. On April 29, 1955, an
enabling act An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it (for authorization or legitimacy) for the delegation of the legislative body's power to take certain actions. For example, enabling act ...
, which created the Iowa Toll Road Authority, came into effect giving the authority the power to further study the feasibility of building a turnpike across the state. Before any construction was to begin, the authority was tasked with developing working relationships with neighboring states' toll road authorities. A provision in the enabling act prevented Iowa from issuing toll road bonds before neighboring states had issued similar bonds. Plans were stalled while Illinois's toll road commission worked out litigation regarding the financing of its bonds. Illinois was the only neighboring state to have a toll-road-planning body. Construction on the Iowa Turnpike never began. In January 1956, the
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. With an original authorization of $25 billion (eq ...
(H.R. 8836) was introduced in
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
. H.R. 8836 created the Interstate Highway System, a national system of controlled-access highways. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
signed the bill into law on June 29, 1956. The new law was problematic for the Iowa Turnpike for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the law designated of controlled-access highway in Iowa, including a cross-state route in the vicinity of the turnpike's planned route. Secondly, the federal government was going to pay for 90 percent of the construction costs; states were only required to match 10 percent of costs (however, tolls were generally prohibited). The Interstate Highway System's completeness and financing rendered the Iowa Turnpike obsolete before it was ever constructed.


Construction

The first section of I-80 to open for traffic, from the West Mixmaster to the Douglas Avenue interchange in Urbandale, opened on September 21, 1958. By the end of November 1959, the new Interstate extended around the north side of Des Moines to US 69. Within a year, the East Mixmaster, where I-35 splits away to the north, was opened. By the end of 1960, from US 71 north of Atlantic to US 6 near Dexter, from I-35 to US 6 west of Newton, and from Iowa 38 near the Cedar River to US 61 in Davenport had opened to traffic. In eastern Iowa, new sections of road were opened in series. 1962 saw the eastern section extended 20 miles west to Iowa City and the central section was extended east to Grinnell. Iowa City's section of interstate was completed on November 15, 1963. A section, the longest section to be opened at one time, connected the two sections in October 1964. The easternmost section of I-80, from US 61 to US 67 at the Mississippi River, opened a month later. This gave travelers nearly of uninterrupted freeway driving. Construction then moved to the western half of the state. A new section from US 71 west to US 59 north of Avoca opened in December 1965. A year later, the Interstate was 90 percent completed when two stretches, a stretch from US 59 to I-29, which included of I-80N and the missing section between the western section and Des Moines, each opened to traffic. Sections of I-80 in the Council Bluffs area did not open for another couple years. A short section between Madison Avenue and US 6 opened in 1968. The Interstate was completed from the eastern junction with I-29 to I-80N in late December 1969. On both sides of the state, the respective river crossings opened to traffic nearly two years later than the connecting highways. Near LeClaire, the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River opened in 1966 after the highway had been completed to US 67, which runs at the foot of the bridge, in 1964. The center span of the Mississippi River bridge was installed on June 29, 1966. The , piece was floated into place by barge. In Council Bluffs, the Missouri River crossing opened on December 15, 1972, while the approach to the bridge opened in November 1970. The Missouri River bridge's completion marked the end of the 14 years it took to construct I-80.


Reconstruction

As early as the 1980s, traffic levels on I-80 reached the road's design capacity. As a result, the highway required significant repairs for which Iowa's Interstate maintenance program lacked funding. A section from CR F90 between Earlham and the western junction with I-35 needed $500,000 in annual repairs (equivalent to $ in ). Funds for needed Interstate repair became available in 1985 when President
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
signed a bill that freed up $7 billion from the
Highway Trust Fund The Highway Trust Fund is a transportation fund in the United States which receives money from a federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel fuel and related excise taxes. It currently has two acc ...
(equivalent to $ in ), the national mechanism for funding repairs to the Interstate Highway System. Under the law, Iowa was slated to receive $200 million per year for its Interstates (equivalent to $ in ). Reconstruction across the state took place in phases. Road crews worked in roughly zones divided into smaller sections. In each section, one direction of highway was closed while the other direction became a two-lane, two-direction road. When one section was completed, the crew would move on to the next section, preventing the entire zone from being closed at once. Iowa was not alone in the required repairs to I-80. The
American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA) is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 million members in the United States and Cana ...
reported that nearly every state along I-80 had reports of road work. In Iowa, though, there were two sections in 1988 which were particularly troublesome for travelers. The I-680 interchange near Neola was closed, so I-680-bound traffic was forced to travel through Neola on Iowa 191 to reach that highway. Another bottleneck occurred near Williamsburg, where it was a two-lane road for . Another problem for travelers hoping to avoid the construction on I-80 was the lack of east–west, four-lane highways in Iowa. At the time, the nearest Interstates,
I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, just outside Baltimore, Maryland. I-70 appr ...
and
I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
were far across state lines in Missouri and Minnesota, respectively. One traveler, interviewed by ''
The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cab ...
'', who was traveling back to Iowa from New York, sought to avoid I-80's construction woes entirely by driving through Canada.


Exit list


See also

* 80/35 Music Festival


References


External links

*
Interstate 80
on The Iowa Highways Page
Iowa 80 truck stop – World's Largest Truck Stop
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 80 In Iowa Iowa 80 Transportation in Pottawattamie County, Iowa Transportation in Cass County, Iowa Transportation in Adair County, Iowa Transportation in Madison County, Iowa Transportation in Dallas County, Iowa Transportation in Polk County, Iowa Transportation in Jasper County, Iowa Transportation in Poweshiek County, Iowa Transportation in Iowa County, Iowa Transportation in Johnson County, Iowa Transportation in Muscatine County, Iowa Transportation in Cedar County, Iowa Transportation in Scott County, Iowa