DOT Updates Road Closures (6-13-08 6:00 p.m.) By Becky Ogann
Iowa roadways remain closed due to flooding
AMES, Iowa – June 13, 2008: 6 p.m. – Flooding continues to affect many roadways in the state, according to Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) officials. Iowans are urged to closely monitor conditions and never enter a water-covered roadway.
The Iowa DOT's temporary customer service phone line will be in operation from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily until further notice. That number is 866-452-8510. This number was set up for assisting travelers navigate state roadway closings. It is not an emergency number. Emergency calls should be made to 911. This phone line is extremely busy, so if you get a busy signal please call back.
For Internet users accessing closure information, visit www.511ia.org (use the low bandwidth service since the high bandwidth service has been temporarily disabled due to high volume).
New or updated road closures
• I-380: in Johnson County – North- and southbound lanes of Interstate 380 (also U.S. 218/Iowa 27) in eastern Iowa between exit 4 (North Liberty) and exit 10 is closed. Detour information can be found by clicking here.
• Iowa 22: in Muscatine County – Iowa 22 is closed east of Muscatine to Scott County Road Y-40.
Roadways now open to traffic
• Iowa 150: in Buchanan County – This road is now open.
Previously mentioned and updated road closures
Interstate routes
• I-29: All exit and entrance ramps at McPaul interchange – All exit and entrance ramps are closed at the McPaul interchange (exit 20) in Fremont County.
• I-80 and Dubuque Street interchange: in Johnson County – Flood waters are over Dubuque Street south of this interchange in Iowa City. The southbound exit from I-80 is closed.
• I-80 in Cedar County: Both east- and westbound lanes of I-80 are closed at milepost 266, just west of the Iowa 38 interchange. This road is expected to remain closed for two to three days. The detour route is U.S. 61 north to U.S. 20 in Dubuque, west on U.S. 20 to Interstate 35, and south on Interstate 35 to Interstate 80 in Des Moines.
• I-380 and H Avenue Interchange: in Linn County (ramp closure only) – The southbound I-380 exit ramp (#21) to H Avenue has been closed due to flooding.
• I-380 and 1st Avenue interchange: in Linn County (ramp closures only) – The northbound I-380 entrance ramp (#19A) to 1st Avenue West and the southbound I-380 exit ramp (#19B) have been closed due to flood waters over 1st Avenue West in downtown Cedar Rapids. I-380 remains open.
• I-380 and 1st Street interchange: in Linn County (ramp closures only) – The northbound I-380 exit ramp (#19C) to 1st Street West and the southbound I-380 exit ramp (#20A) to 1st Street East have been closed due to flood in downtown Cedar Rapids. I-380 remains open.
• I-380 exit ramp Diagonal Drive Interchange: in Linn County (ramp closure only) – The northbound I-380 exit ramp (#19A) to Diagonal Drive has been closed due to flooding.
U.S. routes
• U.S. 6: in Johnson County – U.S. 6 is closed from Burlington Street to the intersection of Iowa 1 West within the city of Iowa City due to flooding.
• U.S. 6: in Muscatine County – U.S. 6 is closed from Muscatine County Road X-46 to Iowa 38 due to flooding.
• U.S. 18: in Floyd County – Portions of U.S. 18 in Floyd County are open. While flood waters have receded, the water damaged the roadway east of Charles City. U.S. 18 will remain closed from Charles City to New Hampton until repairs can be made. Detour using local roads.
• U.S. 18 in Floyd County – Due to rising river levels, U.S. 18 is once again closed in Charles City. The exact location of the closure at this time is from 11th Street to Clark Street.
• U.S. 30: in Boone County – U.S. 30 is closed at the Des Moines River west of the city of Boone.
• U.S. 30: in Linn County - Both east- and westbound lanes are closed now from Interstate 380 to Iowa 1 (Mount Vernon).
• U.S. 52: Dubuque County – Road is closed between Sageville and Rickardsville due to flooding.
• U.S. 59: in Page County – U.S. 59 north of Shenandoah is closed due to flooding on the East Nishnabotna River.
• U.S. 61: in Scott County – U.S. 61 is closed in the city of Davenport from Iowa 22 to U.S. 67 south due to the rising Mississippi River.
• U.S. 61: in Louisa County – U.S. 61 is closed from the north city limits of Wapello to south of Iowa 92.
• U.S. 63: in Tama County – This road is closed south of Tama due to flooding of the Iowa River.
• U.S. 67: in Scott County - U.S. 67 is now closed in the City of Davenport from 8th Street to the Illinois State Line (this is an update to a previous closure).
• U.S. 65/Iowa 5 bypass: in Polk County – U.S. 65 is closed in both directions from U.S. 69 (E. 14th Street) to Iowa 163/University Avenue due to the rising Des Moines River.
• U.S. 65: in Cerro Gordo County – The outside lanes of U.S. 65 are closed on the north edge of Mason City.
• U.S. 65: in Polk County – The Vandalia Road exit from U.S. 65 in Pleasant Hill is closed.
• U.S. 136/U.S. 61: Lee County – U.S. 136/U.S. 61 is closed until further notice due to flooding at the Missouri state line.
• U.S. 151 Business: in Linn County – The city of Cedar Rapids is closing the 1st Avenue bridge (also Business U.S. 151) due to rising flood waters.
• U.S. 151: in Linn County – Road closed from Iowa 220 to U.S. 6 between the town of Amana and Homestead.
• U.S. 151/Iowa 13: Linn County – Road is closed on just north of U.S. 30 to Mount Vernon Road due to flooding.
• U.S. 169: in Dallas County – U.S. 169 is closed in Adel. Traffic is being detoured using Dallas County roads F-65 and P-58 and Iowa 44.
• U.S. 218 ramp: in Black Hawk County – The Iowa 57 westbound ramp from U.S. 218 southbound is closed.
• U.S. 218 ramp in Black Hawk County – The northbound U.S. 218 exit and entrance ramps at Lone Tree Road remain closed.
• U.S. 275: in Fremont County – This roadway is closed from the Missouri state line to Fremont County Road J-64 (old Iowa 333) at Hamburg.
Iowa routes
• Iowa 1: in Linn County – Road closed from U.S. 30 to the city of Solon due to flooding.
• Iowa 1: Lacey State Park in Van Buren County - Van Buren County. Iowa 1 and Van Buren County Road J-40 are currently still open, however; all roads leading in and out of Lacey State Park are closed due to flooding.
• Iowa 3: in Butler County – This highway is closed west of Shell Rock. There is roadway damage that must be repaired.
• Iowa 5: in Warren County – Northbound Iowa 5 is closed at Hartford. Water is over the road about 2.5 miles north of the intersection of Iowa 5 and Warren County Road G-24.
• Iowa 14: north of Marshalltown – Iowa 14 is closed beginning at Marshall County Road E-27 due to rising waters from the Iowa River.
• Iowa 14: in Marion County - Iowa 14 is reduced to one-lane from northern city limits of Knoxville to Marion County Road G-40 due to a landslide. Electronic traffic signals are in place to direct traffic.
• Iowa 21: from Iowa 212 north to Benton County Road E-66 – The road remains closed south of Belle Plaine.
• Iowa 22: in Washington County - Iowa 22 is closed from U.S. 218 to Iowa 70.
• Iowa 22: in Muscatine County - Iowa 22 is closed from Iowa 70 east to U.S. 61 due to flooding.
• Iowa 24: in Winneshiek County – Iowa 24 is closed at Fort Atkinson. This will be a long-term closure for bridge repair.
• Iowa 28: in Warren County – Iowa 28 is closed south of Norwalk due to flooding of the North River.
• Iowa 70: in Louisa County - Iowa 70 is closed to traffic from IA 92 to before Muscatine County Line due to flooding.
• Iowa 92: in Louisa County – Iowa 92 is closed in Columbus Junction. Traffic is being detoured onto local roads.
• Iowa 92: in Mahaska County – Iowa 92 is closed at Mahaska County Road V-13. Traffic is being detoured on local roads.
• Iowa 92: in Marion County – Iowa 92 is closed to traffic from Mahaska County line west to Marion County Road T-17 due to flooding.
• Iowa 92: in Muscatine County - Iowa 92 is closed within city limits of Muscatine due to flooding.
• Iowa 220: in Iowa County – Iowa 220 is closed between South Amana and West Amana.
• Iowa 150: Benton County – Iowa 150 is closed in Vinton.
• Iowa 330: south of Albion in Marshall County – This road is closed due to rising waters from the Iowa River.
• Louisa County: Meyerholz Lake Area – Louisa County Road G-26 is closed. Several local roads are also closed in this area.
Interstate 80 is closed in Cedar County, Iowa, east of the Iowa City area, due to flooding from the Iowa River and Coralville Lake. The flooding that has devastated cities in eastern Iowa has travelled downstream and is now threatening Iowa City and Coralville, both of which have issued evacuations for low-lying areas. Flooding on the Cedar River earlier filled Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with record-breaking water levels. 

Interstate 80 is closed between mile markers 266 and 267, with a 281-mile long detour to get around it: Eastbound through traffic must leave I-80 at Des Moines and travel north along Interstate 35 then east to Dubuque via U.S. Route 20, where it can move south along U.S. Route 61 to return to Interstate 80 at the Quad Cities, with westbound through traffic following the opposite route. Local traffic is being allowed, since this shuts off a 150-mile stretch of highway.

Interstate 380 has also been closed, between mile markers 4 and 10, due to flooding from the Iowa River and Lake Coralville. This, combined with the flooding of the bridges across the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, effectively cuts Cedar Rapids off from Iowa City; the only way between the two cities, normally 30 miles apart, is a 281-mile long detour that takes drivers through Des Moines.

The Cedar River at Cedar Rapids crested today at a record-breaking 31.1 feet, nearly 20 feet above flood stage. The Iowa River is expected to crest at Iowa City at 33 feet, 11 feet over flood stage and 4.5 feet over the record, on the morning of June 17.