Iowa road construction to be postponed due to money shortages

The Iowa Department of Transportation will cut $38 million in road construction projects this summer due to budget constraints, department officials recently announced.

Work on 28 highway projects throughout the state will be delayed until fall or next or summer.

DOT Director Nancy Richardson said the agency’s budget has been affected by lower-than-expected state and federal transportation revenue and higher prices for construction materials and fuel.

Major projects that will not be delayed include the completion of the Avenue of Saints Highway in eastern Iowa, the four-lane expressway between Des Moines and Burlington and the Iowa Highway 60 four-lane project in northwest Iowa, Richardson said.

Work will continue on the I-235 project through Des Moines, and is expected to be completed by late 2007. However, the DOT will defer completion of smaller portions of the project, including construction on noise-reducing walls and bridge painting, the Quad-City Times reported. Also, the installation of various new traffic signs will be pushed back and temporary signs will remain in place at locations throughout the city along I-235.

The largest project being delayed is the $5.2 million resurfacing of U.S. Highway 20 in northwest Iowa, the paper reported.