Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has secured an additional $15 million for various transportation improvements, housing initiatives and economic development projects for the state of Iowa.  Harkin, a senior member of the Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the funding will be included in the Fiscal Year 2011 bill.  The FY 2011 bill was approved by the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday and will now be bought to the full Senate for consideration.

Included in the projects Harkin successfully lobbied for are $3 million in additional funds for the I-74 Corridor Project.   The added $3 million in funds for that project will be used to implement preconstruction and construction activities including right-of-way acquisition for the replacement of the I-74 bridge near Davenport.  IowaPolitics.com has a list of the other Iowa projects receiving additional funds.

More about the I-74 Corridor Project.

We recently spoke to the project manager from Iowa DOT, and squad leader from the IL DOT who informed us that they are currently in Phase II of the project timeline, which includes finalizing the buildable plans for construction.

Neither Illinois nor Iowa are funded for construction but they each have some funds available for ROW acquisition. There have been some instances where the Illinois office has contacted parcel owners in regards to ROW acquisitions.

Phase II will take some time to complete, and IL DOT personnel are working with design consultants and the Iowa DOT to make the process run smoothly. Currently, plan preparation is the main focus in Phase II.

The project manager from Iowa DOT informed us that Iowa is taking the lead on construction from 12th Ave in Moline to Lincoln Rd in Bettendorf; however, each state is responsible for acquiring their own property. Iowa is slightly ahead of Illinois in property acquisition, having already acquired 2 parcels. The properties purchased by Iowa are a result of owners approaching the DOT requesting an early acquisition. They have money in their work program every year for the next five years for the purchase of right-of-way in the corridor.

Learn more about the project at the I-74 Project Website

Currently, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IL DOT) are working together to design, acquire property and re-construct the I-74 Corridor. This corridor provides a direct link between Iowa and Illinois, serving as a gateway to the Quad Cities region. The current configuration of the roadways and bridges along I-74 do not provide consistent travel. Traffic incidences and maintenance on the current Mississippi River Bridges impede traffic flow. The proposed improvements will ease traffic incidents and enhance traffic flow on the Mississippi River.

Read more about the project at the Iowa DOT I-74 Corridor Project Website.

The acquisition of private property is necessary to complete this project, and the Iowa DOT and IL DOT will use eminent domain if negotiations can not be reached. If you think you are affected by this project, do not hesitate to call us at 866.339.7242.

We have also designated a portion of our website to educating property owners on the eminent domain process and laws in Illinois and Iowa. Learn more about Iowa eminent domain and Illinois eminent domain.

What promises to be Iowa’s main east to west running corridor is nearing completion, according to an Ia/DOT District 3 Engineer.

The four-lane right of way in Webster and Calhoun Counties is nearing completion, and paving on that part of the project will begin in 2010 and be completed that same year.

The engineer also stated that bids have been let and contracts have been awarded for the grading of four lane US 20 in western Calhoun and eastern Sac Counties to US 71 at Early.

Grading for the segment that stretches between Iowa Highway 4 and County Road N-14 (east of Sac City) will begin next year and pavement for that portion will begin in 2011. It is anticipated that portion will be open to traffic by 2012.

Additionally, the segment from N-14 to US 71 will begin grading work in 2011, and that portion is anticipated to be open by the end of 2013.

While the grading and paving work is taking place, survey crews have been at work on the segment between Moville and Correctionville (Segment 1), Woodbury County. By the end of this year, all road survey work from Moville to Holstein will be completed, along with the survey work from Holstein to Early.

Once the project is completed, Highway 20 will be stretching from Sioux City all the way to Dubuque.

Click here to read more about this project in an article from Radio Iowa.

September 8, 2008

The following information was provided by the IA DOT and the U.S. Highway 20 Corridor Association.  Click here to visit the official US Highway 20 Corridor Association’s web page.

US 20 has played a prominent role in the economic development of Iowa since its construction in the early 1930’s. A four-lane US 20 across Iowa figures prominently in the state’s transportation strategy for the 21st Century.

The completion of US 20 through Hardin and Grundy Counties marks a major milestone in the development of the corridor. With the completion of this section, US 20 will be a four-lane highway from Dubuque to Fort Dodge.

An improved US 20 means improved traffic service levels, greater safety and improved access to north central Iowa. Adjacent communities will enjoy greater economic benefits and direct access to the Interstate Highway system. This will also mean a shorter traveling distance between Waterloo and Interstate 35, a reduction from 55 to 40 miles.

This improvement is being developed in four segments:

Segment 1- from 3.5 miles east of Moville to Correctionville – The improvement would reconstruct two lanes and add a median and two new lanes to the north side of U.S. 20. This segment is 11 miles in length.

Segment 2- U.S. 20 through Correctionville – The existing roadway would be widened from a two-lane facility to a five-lane facility with two lanes in each direction, a center turn lane, curbs and storm sewer. This segment is three miles in length.

Segment 3- one mile east of Correctionville to Holstein – A median and two new lanes would be added to the south side of the existing two lanes. Some areas would require complete reconstruction of the existing highway to meet current design and safety standards. At Holstein, the existing two miles of four-lane roadway would be incorporated into the proposed improvement. This segment is 10 miles in length.

Segment 4 – Holstein to Jackson Avenue northwest of Early – A median and two new lanes would be added to the north side of U.S. 20. Some areas would require complete reconstruction of the existing highway to meet current design and safety standards. The segment is 18 miles in length.

The completion of this project will require the acquisition of private property.  Property acquisition should be underway and construction is ongoing.

The map below gives a graphical representation of the property acquisition timeline.  Property acquisition is well underway for the green section in Calhoun County, and property acquisition has just begun for the purple section in Sac County, and property acquisition is currently not funded for the remaining properties in the blue section located in the West Side of Sac County, Ida and Woodbury Counties.

If you have received an appraisal or offer and would like us to review it at no cost or obligation, or if you would like additional information on the project and your rights, please contact us at 866.339.7242.

Biersdorf & Associates Project # 3864.001 

Through our continuous monitoring of this project, we’ve been informed through public information at the City of Marshalltown Housing and Community Development Office that voluntary property negotiations will be ongoing over the next few years for the project, and eminent domain will not be used. 

Funding has been secured for the project; however the type of funding awarded does not allow eminent domain to occur. The only way the redevelopment can occur is if the desired properties can be acquired through voluntary negotiations. 

Currently, two out of the five properties needed for the project have been acquired through voluntary negotiation, and if the remaining properties are acquired, they will also be acquired through voluntary negotiations. We continue to monitor the project as it progresses and keep you informed of any changes.

If you have questions about eminent domain, call us at 866.339.7242 for more information.

Biersdorf & Associates Project # 3820.001

Condemning Authority: Clarke County

Last week, the Clarke County Reservoir Commission voted to go ahead with condemnation efforts of farmland to make room for a brand-new reservoir.

The reservoir is essential because the city of Osceola has a desperate need for a new source of water, and the current lake is tapped almost to full capacity. Without the reservoir, development will come to a halt, according city officials.

Several property owners just north of Osceola, where the reservoir is proposed, say the county and city leaders are overestimating the water needs and pushing the limits on the eminent domain law in Iowa.

To read more about this story, click here.

March 23, 2009

 A meeting will be held for property owners who will be affected by the Clarke County Water Supply Project.

The informational meeting to be held at the Lions Club Room on Tuesday, April 7th at 7 p.m. will be facilitated by eminent domain attorney Dan Biersdorf to inform property owners who will have their land acquired by the county for the project of their rights and the eminent domain process.

The Clarke County Water Supply Project has the intention to develop a lake near Osceola in
Southern Iowa that will serve as regional water supply, provide water-based recreation, develop fish and wildlife habitat and control agricultural pollution.

The estimated area for the project is 32,946 acres, 6,000 of which are to be acquired by the county from property owners within the next two years.

For more information on this project and the informational meeting, please call 866-339-4272.

Biersdorf & Associates Project # 3831.001 

Condemning Authority: Iowa Department of Transportation

The Ia/DOT is in the process of building an extension for Highway 32. The 6.1 mile-long extension will be called IA 32 Southwest Arterial and connect the Dubuque Industrial Center near US Highway 20 to the Dubuque Technology Park.

The project will cost an estimated $78 million and is meant to relieve traffic on local streets and remove traffic from city neighborhoods.

Property acquisition is currently under way and expected to last until the end of the year.

To see a map of the planned extension, click here.

For more information on this project, please call us at 866.339.7242.

Biersdorf & Associates Project # – 3878.001

Condemning Authority – State of Iowa

Project Description: The following information was provided by the Iowa Department of Transportation.

http://www.iowadot.gov/cbinterstate/index.asp

The Iowa department of transportation is planning to improve mobility through the Council Bluff Metro area by improving and upgrading interstates 80, 29 and 480.  Improvements will be made to the conditions of the road in order to help reduce traffic congestion and crashes and to add capacity. This project will be implemented in five segments.