DOT camera view of I-29 flooding.
Flooding has forced the closing of Interstate 29 in spots in southwest Iowa. DOT transportation planner, Scott Suhr says,”We currently have I-29 closed at the 55 mile marker. We are in the process of monitoring and potentially closing I-29 north of Crescent.” . He says the water has already closed one lane of traffic there.
Suhr says the situation is changing as they see the water overtake more roadways. “I-29 will be closed essentially from Crescent north to 680,” Suhr says. “Crescent where 680 goes west into Omaha and south into Council Bluffs is open. And U-S 34 to Missouri from I-29 — we are monitoring it right now — but it looks like it will probably be closing.”
He says the just need some dry days to turn things around. “Most of the issues we’re facing right now is the fact that we’ve had a large amount of rainfall. The ground is already well saturated, the rivers are full, the creeks are full, and there’s really nowhere for the water to go until it quits raining or the water goes down,” Suhr says.
Crews have been working continuously in the area to repair flood damage from earlier this year. Suhr doesn’t think the latest water issues will do any major damage to that work. “We hope not,” he says, “some of the areas that we did repair we actually made some improvements, so in the event of something like this happening again we actually have some type of protection.”
Suhr says the rain and wet conditions bring halt to some of the ongoing work. “If it’s a paving project or grading project — obviously the rain impacts that type of activity. But if we are working on driving a piling on a bridge or something along those lines — typically the rain doesn’t affect that type of work,” Suhr explains.
Other roadways shut down by the flooding include: Iowa Highway 2 from I-29 to the Nebraska border; South 169 near Adel; South 65 near Lucas; Iowa 92 near Oskaloosa; Iowa 21 near Belle Plaine; Iowa 130 near Plainview; South 67 in Davenport.
The DOT reminds drivers that flooding is a dynamic situation and conditions can change quickly. Travelers are advised to check 511ia.org, the Iowa 511 mobile app or call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide) for up-to-date information on highway closings.