The Iowa Department of Transportation today released its schedule of work for this construction season. The schedule calls for a record 400-million dollars in road work this year topping the 340-million spent on Iowa roads in 1998. The biggest project involves the reconstruction of interstate 80 and resurfacing of 80 and 235 around Des Moines. Reconstruction work is also set for a portion of interstate 35 between highways 30 and 65 in Story County. There are plenty of the yearly patching projects also on theschedule including interstate 380 from Waterloo to Iowa City…interstates 280 and 74 in Scott County..interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County andinterstate 29 in Harrison, Monona and Woodbury Counties. The D-O-T says it will again stress safety in the work zones this year trying to reduce the nine fatal work zone accidents of last year. Associated General Contractors of Iowa spokesman Scott Newhard says the construction zones will be well marked to let you know what is happening. Newhard says motorists must do their part to help prevent construction zone accidents. Seven of the nine construction zone deaths were motorists, which Newhard says is common. He says accidents are caused by drivers who don’t pay attention to the warning signs. The D-O-T says it will do much of the patching and other workon the interstates at night and off times to cause the least amount of disruption possible.
