County pushing for permanent Floyd intersection fix

Supervisors to send letter and delegation to state commission

By Chris Baldus  |  cbaldus@charlescitypress.com

A state commission that prioritizes state highway construction projects, such as where to put in overpasses, is going to hear from Floyd County next week.

The Floyd County Board of Supervisors procured 15 minutes on the Iowa Transportation Commission’s public input meeting that begins at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9, in Sioux City. The county’s delegation is scheduled for 15 minutes beginning at 10:05 a.m.

“A delegation to go down there is a lot more effective than just sending a letter or a petition,” Kuhn said.

A recent online petition that has garnered more than 2,000 supporters, the lawmakers’ public meeting and a letter penned by Rep. Todd Prichard to the commission set a good foundation for the commission, though, he added.

The county is now gathering a delegation to urge the commission to make a permanent fix to the Intersection of Highways 218 and 18 at Floyd.

The county is going to recruit city, county and state elected officials and concerned citizens.

The board called the state during its meeting Tuesday to procure a spot on the commission’s meeting.

The board also agreed to write a letter of its own to the commission. There are four points supervisors intends to make in it:

— The new Love’s Truck Stop will create more traffic at the intersection.

— Heavy semitrailer traffic from the Valero ethanol plant passes through the intersection.

— The county has scheduled improving Quarry Road, which leads from the plant to the intersection.

— And how the dangerous intersection affects the city of Floyd and its residents.

County Engineer Dustin Rolando was asked to research how many semitrailers pass through the intersection each day. Kuhn thought the number was around 200.

“Virtually all of them will come through that intersection,” he said.

Supervisor Roy Schwickerath, who along with Rolando attended a meeting about the intersection organized by lawmakers in Floyd, said it’s important to keep the state commission aware of changes that will affect the intersection and he urged supervisors to push for a controlled access intersection — something with on and off ramps — rather than another band-aid fix. He stressed the commission needs to know what has been done has not worked.

“We want a permanent fix,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”

He also noted that on a recent trip past Floyd, he had to slow to 40 mph to avoid striking a semitrailer that pulled out in front of him.

“If you’re not familiar with that intersection and if you’re daydreaming that is an accident.”

Supervisor Doug Kamm said the design of the intersection is unique and asked if anyone has ever seen it anywhere else.

The Iowa Transportation Commission’s public input meeting will be at the Hilton Garden Inn Sioux City Riverfront, 1132 Larsen Park Road, in Sioux City. It will hear about transportation matters from representatives of local government, interest groups, and individuals. Items that may be discussed at the meeting include the Iowa Transportation Improvement Program; transportation policies; and highway, aviation, rail, river, bicycle, pedestrian and public transit issues. A brief business meeting will begin at 8 a.m. with the public input meeting to immediately follow.

On Monday, Aug. 8, the commissioners will meet informally and tour transportation projects in western Iowa.

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