I-80 in Iowa was reportedly was closed around 8:00pm on 6/12/08 due to flooding where the highway crosses the Cedar River east of Iowa City. The stretch of I-80 is expected to be closed 2 to 3 days until water recedes and the road can be cleaned up.

Although the flooding is only between Exits 265 and 267, the official west-bound detour takes you north on Iowa Route 61 to US 20 in Dubuque, then west on US 20 to I-35, then south back to I-80 in Des Moines. The east-bound detour is the same route in reverse. This route takes you about 100 miles out of your way. Traffic is expected to be heavy. There may be other routes, but travelers are being urged not to try to use other local roads because many of them may also be flooded.

Local traffic only will be allowed to use parts of I-80 bypassed by the official detour, except for the stretch between Exits 265 and 267.

If you don't need to be in Iowa, you may want to consider avoiding the state altogether for the next few days.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: paz,

quote:

Originally posted by paz:
.....the flooding is only between Exits 265 and 267, ....

Hmmm, the HWH facility is at Exit 267. But, IIRC, they are quite some ways above where the river flows just west of Exit 267.

Hey, it's HWH. Worse case scenario they just crank down all of their jacks and raise the building up.

Iowa DOT reported I-80 reopened about 4:00 this afternoon 6/16/08.

Great news... do you know if I-380 through to Waterloo and US-20 has been cleared for thru traffic also? I've been visiting the IA DOT site and maps but am not clear on that...

thanks

I haven't heard anything on the local news (we're in Quad Cities near Davenport, IA) about I-380 one way or the other. We were planning to take I-80, so I may not have been paying attention if they said anything about I-380.

US 20 was part of the official detour when I-80 was closed, so it should be OK. Looking at the Iowa DOT map, I don't see any closures on it or on I-380.

The water upstream on the Iowa and Cedar Rivers is starting to recede. There are still lots of problems on local roads, but most of the problems now are from Quad Cities on down the Mississippi as the river rises and levees are breached.

I called Winnebago today and 380 is open.