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County engineers enlist DOT to redesign bypass curve for safety; paving may move to spring

November 19, 2025 | Des Moines County, Iowa


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County engineers enlist DOT to redesign bypass curve for safety; paving may move to spring
Brian Carter of Secondary Roads told the board that DOT plans for the Minneapolis bypass included a 35 mph, urban-style curve with no superelevation (banking) and that county staff raised safety concerns after review. "The consultant for the DOT put into the plans is a 35 mile per hour curve, and it's designed for urban use, which means there's no superelevation," Carter said on the record.

Carter said county staff pursued the issue with DOT and the contractor; DOT's assistant district engineer engaged and the parties identified ways to reshape the pavement profile so the curve would provide banking and be designed for roughly 45–50 mph traffic. Carter said that fix avoids asking DOT to redesign the alignment as a full 55-mph superelevated curb, which would trigger additional environmental clearances and could add a year or more to the project.

Carter warned that the timing is tight and that winter conditions could push final paving into the spring construction season. He said the county had communicated with landowners about a near-term road closure to install the first segment of a long culvert and that crews would return to reopen the road after work.

The board did not take a formal vote on the design change; Carter said the DOT agreed to a middle-ground modification and staff will continue to coordinate scheduling and communications with landowners.

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Scribe from Workplace AI
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