Iowa governor pledges to raise support for project

At a Feb. 13 meeting with local leaders at the Statehouse, Iowa governor Chet Culver promised to help increase statewide support for widening U.S. Highway 20 to four lanes.

Culver pledged to help organize a series of high-profile meetings to try to convince the public to support the project.

"I've been convinced we need to finish 20. There's never been a doubt in my mind," Culver said.

Culver blamed the lack of progress on the project at least partially on “entrenched interests” in other parts of Iowa that don’t share the desire of western Iowans to complete the project.

"I think part of the challenge is changing the mentality outside of that corridor,” Culver said. “For whatever reason, there's a perception, that's wrong, that we don't have to do 20."

The Iowa DOT’s current five-year plan includes work on only about nine miles of the route. Despite state congressmen successfully campaigning for millions of federal dollars for Highway 20 in recent years, congressional earmarks alone are way less than needed, according to Siouxland Chamber President Debi Durham.

Acquiring the needed right-of-way and paving two more lanes for approximately 90 miles will cost an estimated $500 million.