Built as part of the $1.5-billion Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program, the project team delivered the area’s first dual, divided freeway. Building the three-mile section required relocating multiple railroads, managing flood events, designing complex bridge structures, traversing waterways and maintaining traffic on a vital corridor.

The team’s biggest challenge was keeping two lanes of traffic flowing with minimal disruptions while crews worked in tight confines. Intelligent work zone devices were implemented to improve safety and traffic flow. Electronic signs alerted drivers of trucks entering the interstate, providing time to merge and continue at highway speeds. Other devices alerted the Iowa DOT of queues on interstate ramps so it could adjust signals.