The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) plan to install two, two-lane roundabouts, east of the four-way intersection with Story Street. The roundabouts will be located at southeast Marshall Street.
Iowa DOT District 1 Engineer Allison Smyth said the $8.9 million project will improve traffic safety. The transportation agency studied the Highway 30 corridor in Bone County for several years, revealing potential for an uptick in traffic.
"As traffic increases on four-lane expressways like the U.S. 30, it is common to see crashes increase as well, particularly at the intersections," Smyth said.
The roundabouts are the first of several improvements to Boone County’s stretch of Highway 30, according to Smyth.
"Eventually, there will be improvements at more of the intersections along the corridor as funding becomes available and as traffic increases, or if crashes increase," Smyth said.
Roundabouts are a proven safety countermeasure and are a safer option instead of traffic signals, according to Smyth. Traffic lights do little to reduce accidents, Smyth said, while roundabouts help slow traffic.
Work on the roundabouts will start in the spring of 2027 and will likely span the entire construction season.
U.S. Route 30 will remain open during construction, but the side roads surrounding Highway 30 − SE Marshall Street and Crow Flair Drive − will be detoured while building the connections, Smyth said.
Source: Ames Tribune, Yahoo
