After three years of work, drivers traveling westbound on Interstate 80 between West Branch and Iowa City will be able to use newly opened lanes beginning Oct. 21, according to a Thursday release from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Crews plan to open the new westbound lanes of I-80 between Johnson and Cedar counties, shifting westbound traffic onto the new roadway, weather permitting, according to the release.
After the shift, crews will continue median work before fully expanding the interstate to three lanes in each direction.
The work is a part of the I-80 Widening Project between Iowa City and West Branch, expanding the interstate from four to six lanes. The Iowa Department of Transportation is also doing work on this project in the Des Moines and Council Bluffs areas.
Iowa DOT District Transportation Planner for Johnson County, Sam Shea, wrote in an email statement to The Daily Iowan the $64 million project is expected to be fully open to the public by mid-November.
While the Iowa DOT is informing the public about the traffic change, he wrote, there is still median and barrier rail work to be done by November, as well as erosion control and landscaping work slated for 2026.
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Kent Ralston, transportation planner for the city, wrote in an email statement to the DI the I-80 project is critical for the area.
“Iowa City and Johnson County are one of the fastest growing areas in the state, and the added capacity will certainly help position us for the additional personal, commercial, and industrial traffic that comes with this rapid growth,” Ralston wrote.
According to a Johnson County Housing Study conducted in September, the housing market is projected to grow by roughly 11 percent.
In Iowa City, the average growth rate is 0.33 percent annual, according to the World Population Review.
Ralston added the improvements will keep commute times manageable, support the local workforce, and strengthen safety through updated infrastructure.
The Iowa DOT urges motorists to remain alert, follow posted speed limits, and use extra caution in work zones, where fines for moving are doubled.