Summer is… Pools, Swimming, Parades, Vacations, & Road Construction!

– Mary Shirkey-Bishop, Packwood, Iowa

The kids have finished school and parents plan the summer. Sports of high school softball and baseball, travel ball, swim lessons, upcoming county fairs, and vacations are all events that require time management. Road construction is evitable during the summer months and something we dread when traveling to these destinations. It causes stress to drivers and the detours can be stressful to our vehicles as well.

So how does each county determine which roads need the highest priority? Who determine the priority of the location of construction? Interesting question as a taxpayer may or may not wonder as sitting in our vehicles taking the detours or waiting on the pilot car or oncoming traffic to pass us.  Whether you live in Keokuk county, Washington county, Wapello county, or Jefferson county, the roads this summer in this area involve all these counties and and the detours road designated.

Roads are an asset to drivers. Like any other asset, management is crucial to maintain the value of a system that is used daily. Iowa Department of Transportation is the entity that determines what roads make the priority list of beginning construction. The decision is based on factors such as geology (location), traffic flow, economic development, cost of the project and benefit in relation to the cost. Collecting and analyzing data based on these factors help make better decisions on roadways/bridges that need updates.

History of the Iowa Department of Transportation

The first Iowa Department of Transportation organization was formed in 1904 at the Iowa State University under a different name called Iowa State Highway Commission. In 1913, the organization was redesigned as a spinoff from Iowa State University and became a government agency. In 1974 the highway commission folded into a larger transportation department within other modes of transportation. The purpose was to create a more balanced system for roadways and infrastructure.

The Iowa Department of Transportation purpose is serving the responsibility of the primary highway systems. In Iowa specifically, this includes state highways for example highway 10 in NW Iowa, U.S. Highway 30 across the state, and interstate system such as I-80. Cities and counties are held responsible to maintain their own construction.

Trivia Facts of Roadways

If you could travel across the state, you may think,” How many miles of roadway has my journey taken me.” So here are the trivia numbers to ponder on your next road trip. Iowa has 25,000 miles of interstate, U.S., and state highway miles. Gravel roads are traveled with 13,282 miles. Primary roads tally 10,000 miles and 1,481 miles of bridges structure. Iowa ranks 14th overall in miles of roadways. Paved roads have 16.869 miles.

Four Elements of Meeting Standards

Efficient and Convenience

Those stats of the roadway are worth mentioning because the days of horse and buggy are not present unless you are in Amish country. One thing to consider is transportation patterns have changed due to a population shift. The shift of rural mileage of transporting goods to travel to urban larger cities is a factor in the demands reflecting total mileage. There are still images of farmer tractors on the country gravel roads but traffic patterns reflect people are on the move in a fast paced environment with convenience and reliable mobility. The goal with this element is where best to spend resources for own transportation system so the system has the ability to provide safe and efficient projects that will enhance economic growth.

With accessible interstate structure, traffic flow consists of heavy freight traffic. Many roads remain difficult to navigate due to heavier freight causing vehicles to travel a different route to get goods from point A to B. This means more additional costs for the shipper and also the consumer. In today’s technology world, shopping in town occurs less and on-line shopping is the trend for consumers.

Mobility and Safety Element

Data that has been collected gets analyzed to help figure out a solution for construction projects. Improvements can be widening narrow lanes, repairs on bridges with inadequate heights and widths, or extremely tight curves.

Obstacles that may interfere with safe zones requiring removal to allow drivers adequate vision. Other interventions include adding medians or repairing existing ones, improve lightening, adding rumble strips, widening lanes or shoulders, upgrading a 2 lane system into a 4 lane roadway, improving intersections, or pavement markings. Outcomes for these improvements to the consumer include benefits of cutting back on maintenance costs, reducing delays and amount of fuel used, safety improvement, and reduced roadway and bridge maintenance.

When a roadway needs designed, a highway designer who acts a resource consultant. The consultant provides tools such analyzing data to meet standards of highway design. When you travel across the nation, every state has partnered with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. For the state of Iowa, the DOT uses specific recommended guidelines to set our own set of parameters to design roads  that fit our unique needs based on the data interpreted and analyzed. The TAM consultant role is watch on the conditions of roads. One area that the consultant watches for condition changes is cracks in pavements. Asphalt pavements lasts about 20 years and concrete pavements lasts about 40 years. Roads pavement construction started in the 1920’s with the expectations of lasted a long time.

Pavement conditions and when those pavements conditions need repaired are conducted by two methods. The first method is visual inspection using computer analyzed video data. The second method is instrument or machine testing. Not only can cracks be identified but also smoothness and rutting characteristics. Data from methods of investigations allows the DOT to run software programs that produce different scenarios on how best to spend the money available. Using the software as an analyzing tool, a high level of accuracy is predicted to complete the project in the most cost effective manner.

Asset Management

Roads are an investment that impacts us daily. To manage an investment, we have to make the right investment at the right time in order to get the maximum life from our investment from our transportation system at the least cost. The words right, maximum, and least being key words to any investment. The question that any consumer might ask is,” Why should I invest as a tax payer?” The answer,” The DOT can make smarter choices with available assets ensuring customers dollars are being used in more cost effective way based on TAMP four principles.”

A Shift in Thinking

The TAMP was completed in 2015 and it was process that introduced in phases. Sometimes we hear the expression,” Out with the old and in with the new”. This strategy applies to roadway projects that need improvement. In the past, Iowa DOT’s approach to road repair approach was ,”the worst 1st” approach. Structures that were in the worst shape got fixed 1st. When the repairs were significant, waiting too long in the end was not an effective strategy for saving money and costs. The repairs also did not last or perform as well.

For TAMP to implement a strategic approach in Iowa’s infrastructure system, it requires creating a long term, comprehensive approach and proactive plan. Action plan goals means building, preserving, operating, and reinvesting in assets more cost effectively with improved performance; delivering the best value for dollar spent; and enhancing the DOT credibility and accountability in of stewardship and assets.

Detours and road construction project on Iowa 1 highway/Iowa 78 in Washington county from the entrance to Lake Darling to the west side of Brighton has crew working to replace a culvert and reconstruct the road. The project is expected to last until late August. During closure of the project, marked detour routes using Iowa 1, Iowa 92, Washington county roads W38 and G 38, Keokuk County road W15, and Oak Street through Richland.

East Burlington Avenue closed in Fairfield that begin April 15th with anticipation of work to be completed by October depending on weather. The construction project is replacing the Crow Creek Bridge, which is located between the Chautauqua Park and Parkview Care Center entrance. Detour is Glasglow Road. The bridge is 70 years old and reached its maximum useful lifespan.