Road Widening in Iowa

Photo Credit: Traffic Congestion on I-95 - VCU CNS

Recently, the Iowa Department of Transportation began studying the widening of Interstate 380 between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The study examines adding two to four lanes for the entire corridor to reach a total of six lanes. Bruce Nesmith explains the possible outcomes of the additional lanes; the additional capacity will induce demand or attract new users who will fill up the interstate to the previous level of congestion; government budgets will be further stressed by the additional cost of maintenance; users will drive faster and take more risks; and accidents will still occur which decrease the capacity of the new lanes.

For the complete article by Bruce Nesmith and options to reduce congestion on the corridor, click here: The Futility of Widening